Finding Kaoru
by Miss Light Bright
Summary: The red plague kills off millions of people. And as a lock-down is taken into action, Kaoru and Hikaru are separated in the chaos. Now Hikaru has to wait out the lock-down while his brother struggles to defend himself. No slash, no lemon. Just brothers.
1. Chapter 1

A series of rough coughs wracked Kaoru's body as he bent over his bedside. He was pale and sweating, his orange hair plastered to his forehead. Kaoru seriously looked like he was going to throw up.

Hikaru shifted in his bed as he watched with his brows knit in a tight frown. He glanced at the bedside clock. It glared bright red digits that proclaimed the time to be five A.M., an unholy hour for the twins. But at that moment, Hikaru was wide awake, staring at the suffering form of his younger brother.

Hikaru scrunched himself in a tight ball briefly, waiting for the sharp coughs to falter, and then pulled himself up straight into a sitting position. He rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced at Kaoru. He was still on the edge of his bed facing Hikaru's; his head hung between his knees and his arms draped over the top of his head. Kaoru's heavy breaths hung grimly in the room.

"Kaoru?" Hikaru whispered into the darkness.

Kaoru's head popped up, darkening against the shimmering moonlight streaming through the wide-set windows. His head tilted but Hikaru could not see his expression in the shadows. "I'm okay," Kaoru croaked. His voice was rough the past few days with the cough.

Hikaru pulled himself from the bed, throwing off the warm covers, and exposed himself to the cold evening air. He crossed the few feet from his bed to Kaoru's and sat down beside his younger twin and peered into his face. Kaoru's eyes were tight and his features were strained; he was rubbing unconsciously at his throat.

"We'll see what the doctor says tomorrow. But I'm sure it's nothing. Your symptoms are not the same as the Red Plague," Hikaru assured him, squeezing the younger's shoulder.

Kaoru nodded. "I hope so," he mumbled. "I'm already sick of people looking at me as if I'm a murderer."

Hikaru's chest throbbed. His poor little brother was suffering much more than just physically; he had seen it with his own eyes.

"Get some sleep," Hikaru said, standing to face Kaoru.

Kaoru nodded again and followed Hikaru's arms as he guided him back into bed. Once his little brother was tightly tucked in, Hikaru turned back to his own bed and crawled inside, hoping that the day would bring good news for Kaoru.

Morning came too quickly. Hikaru found himself jolting awake as the sun streamed in through the window. Shit! He was late for school! Hikaru sat straight up in raw panic, ready to jump out of bed when he remembered—school was closed starting this week as the mass quarantining started across the nation.

Nevertheless, Hikaru rolled of bed, noticing that Kaoru had already vacated his own. Hikaru could tell that Kaoru was eager to get his diagnosis because then, it would give the Hitachiin family closure.

If Kaoru tested positive for Red Plague, he would be isolated. Hikaru's heart jumped at the thought; he didn't want to be separated. On the other hand, if Kaoru was proven negative, as Hikaru suspected, he would receive his cleared papers that he could indeed shelter in the sanctuaries.

It wasn't just Kaoru that was being tested for the Red Plague; everyone was required to by the government. Kaoru just had priority since he was showing signs of sickness.

Hikaru trudged across their shared room, down the hall, and into the dining room. Kaoru was already seated at one of the center chairs at the long table. Mother and father sat across from him, glancing nervously at their son. He was wrapped in his comforter to prevent himself from shivering and he was scraping the fork through his eggs and pancakes without eating.

"Good morning," Hikaru called, trying to lighten the mood.

Kaoru looked up and smiled with pain in his eyes. He set the fork down and turned to face Hikaru as he entered the room.

Hikaru crossed to the TV and turned it on as he did every morning since the plague outbreak had begun a few weeks ago. Immediately he sat down to his breakfast as the TV jumped to life.

"-reported one million more dead this week. Researchers claim that the trend will not lessen and a shutdown may be necessary soon," the anchor reported.

Hikaru tilted his head. Ouran High had been readying the students for the shutdown but he had not expected it to be actually used any time soon.

The anchorman continued, "The public is reminded to stay indoors when possible and to wear the state-issued safety masks when outside as it is still unclear whether the virus is airborne or not."

Hikaru sighed, turning away from the TV. It was the same old, same old today. His parents had already turned back to their meals while Kaoru was again digging around his plate. "Not feeling breakfast today?" Hikaru asked Kaoru.

"Just a little nervous," Kaoru said still staring at his food.

Hikaru nodded, turning to his own steaming-hot food and dug in.

An hour later, Hikaru was trudging behind the rest of his family, clutching the mask to his face as they made their way through the hospital. He glanced around at the lines of people in front of every hospital room, waiting to be tested. Each and every person they passed wore the same mask around their face, glancing around nervously. It was strange to be near so many people again; recently, most stayed isolated in their own homes.

They came to a stop at a hospital room at the end of the hall, far away from the chattering of the masses. This room was specifically booked for the Hitachiin family; they paid big money to get their screening done early.

The four stepped inside and was immediately greeted by the nurse, "Welcome, please come this way." She gestured to a row of hospital beds. "If you would take a seat, we can get started immediately."

Hikaru followed Kaoru to the nearest bed and sat down next to him. Kaoru glanced nervously at his older brother. "Cross your fingers," Kaoru said quietly through his mask.

"Don't need to," Hikaru replied confidently.

"We'll be fine," their mother stated from the bed across from her twin sons.

The doctor began with mother and father, checking their blood for any mutations. When they were finished, the nurse smiled, "Both are clear."

Then it came to Hikaru and Kaoru's turn. "Stick us at the same time," Hikaru told the nurse that approached them with the needles.

"No problem," she replied, grabbing another nurse.

When the needle jabbed into their arm, it felt like a small bee sting. Kaoru gasped a little louder than Hikaru though, as he was the one with the lower tolerance for pain.

Hikaru watched, mesmerized, as the nurse slowly drew the blood from his veins. It was interesting to see his blood in that vile. Kaoru, on the other hand, paled at the sight of the syringe.

"Don't look at it, Kaoru, if it's just going to make you sick," Hikaru said loudly.

Kaoru glared. "I'm fine."

It was only minutes after that for the nurses to return with their results. Hikaru searched their faces for any clue but both faces were held blank.

"Hikaru," his black-haired nurse began, "you are completely disease free. You will have no problem getting into the sanctuaries."

"And Kaoru?" Hikaru asked impatiently.

The blonde nurse smiled sweetly. "He is clear as well." Mother giggled in delight, wrapping her arms around her youngest son. "In fact," the nurse continued, "Kaoru is part of the very small population that is immune. He is one out of every ten thousand. In this way, he is very lucky."

"See Kaoru?" Hikaru laughed, whacking the wide-eyed Hitachiin upside the head. "You were worried for nothing! You're the healthiest out of all of us!"

The nurse nodded with Hikaru's words. "Yes, he merely has a common cold. It should clear up in no time."

Kaoru grinned through his mask, warming his amber eyes. "And here I thought I was going to die."

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><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed chapter one of this lovely story. Please let me know if this story is worth it so far. And, if you want, check out my other OHSHC stroy: "Lost Without You."<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all, I would like to clear up a few questions about this fic. One, I made up Red Plague, it's not real but is very similar to the Black Plague. Two, the reason Hikaru wasn't freaking out more in the first chapter was that he already suspected that Kaoru only had a cold. On another note, I would like to apologize for this... awful chapter. I feel like I didn't do the best on it but I need it to get where I wanna go in the story. Thanks, enjoy.**

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><p>Signs and symptoms of the Red Plague:<p>

1. Persistent cough- symptoms of the common cold

2. Muscle cramps

3. painful spots on the skin

4. Extreme chills

5. Skin discoloration

6. Bloody cough

7. Seizures or fainting

8. Tingling or numbing of limbs

So far no cure developed; no cause of virus found; can lead to death.

* * *

><p>Kaoru coughed roughly against his hand, scrunching over the side of his chair. He didn't feel exactly the best, but his cold had improved over the last week since his check-up. Being reported as "immune" to the Red Plague had relieved him immensely; he would no longer stay awake at night, worrying.<p>

However, despite how good the news was, Kaoru was beginning to get a bad feeling about all of this. How come he had never heard of any immunes before? The news had never reported anything, nor had he ever met anyone immune.

His coughing seized, as he pulled himself up straight, staring back up at his video game with a puzzled frown. Kaoru blinked, realizing that he had allowed his character to die while he had been coughing.

"Did you die already?" Hikaru called as he entered the room, carrying a water bottle. He broke open the seal and took a quick swig. "I heard the dying music," he continued with a grin.

"Got distracted," Kaoru replied, throwing the controller down on the floor. He stood and stretched. "I'm so bored, Hikaru. There is nothing to do when we're stuck in the house all day."

"Well, I suppose we could call Tamaki and see what he's up to. Maybe we will be let out of the house long enough to hang out with him or something." Hikaru pulled out his phone as he crossed the room to set the water down on the desk. Kaoru laid down on his bed while he watched his older brother scroll through his contact list.

Hikaru pulled the phone to his ear and listened. As Kaoru watched, Hikaru's expression when from happy to confused to panicked. "Uh Hikaru? Are you okay?"

The older twin stared at his phone with frown before passing it to Kaoru. "Redial Tamaki and you'll hear what I did."

Kaoru dialed and pulled the small phone to his ear. The phone rang only once before going to an automatic message. "Sorry, we cannot forward your call. Phone services have been suspended in this time of national emergency. Please try back at a later time."

"Wh-what?" Kaoru tilted his head at his older brother. His chest became breathless.

Hikaru was already across the room at the TV. He quickly took up the remote, switching from input to his usual channel 7. Kaoru froze, sucking in a gasp. "National Emergency. Please wait for further instructions," were the words scrolling across the white screen. There was nothing but those words; it chilled Kaoru to the bone.

"What the hell is going on?" Hikaru hollered just as the alarms blared through the air, making the twins jump in surprise.

"The shut-down siren!" Kaoru cried, speeding to the window, throwing up the hash. The sirens screamed louder with the window open. Kaoru squinted out the window in the direction of downtown Ouran, trying to see anything unusual, but could not. The distance was too far.

"Kaoru!" Hikaru cried. Kaoru turned around, closing the window, to glance at his brother. He was pointing to the TV screen. The words had disappeared and were replaced by a new message in bright red.

The words read, "National emergency! The Red Plague has been found to be airborne and highly contagious. Japan's government is joining many others in going into a wide-spread lockdown. Please report to your designated sanctuary with your government disease papers and identification." The words repeated again on the screen as the alarms continuously droned.

Kaoru turned his eyes on Hikaru, meeting his identical amber irises that held a mirror of his own panic. "Come on Kaoru!" Hikaru yelled, suddenly snapping out of his stupor, waving a hand at his younger brother.

Racing forward, Kaoru snatched up his safety mask and his papers that were placed nearby. Hikaru pulled on his arm before he even had the mask snapped over his nose.

"Hikaru! Kaoru!" their mother cried, running down the hall towards them just as they exited the room. Kaoru's heart sped. This was real. This was happening.

"Oh thank God!" she said, barely audible through the alarms. She snatched up her two sons by their wrists and pulled them behind her, sprinting.

Kaoru stumbled over his clumsy feet but regained his balance. The strain of running through the long hallways of their mansion crept through Kaoru's lungs. He pulled his free arm up over his mouth, coughing roughly into the crook of his sleeve.

"You can do it Kaoru," Hikaru bellowed, wrenching his hand from mother's grasp, and tucking his arms around Kaoru's shoulders for support. "We're almost there. Only a little farther."

Kaoru nodded, choking back his coughs, pushing forward. They ran down the stairs to the door. Their mother snapped her own mask over her head as she ripped open the door. The sirens pierced their ears.

"What about your papers?" Kaoru yelled, grabbing mother's arm.

"In the car!" she said quickly, pushing her two sons through the door. "Go!"

Hikaru and Kaoru raced across the front path to the car waiting at the curb while she locked the front door. Locking the door was an important part of the shutdown, the government said. It would prevent looting. Kaoru found himself worrying about the Hitachiin staff, but then he remembered that they would be doing the same as the Hitachiin family, only they were exited through the back of the mansion. Now he knew why the hallways had been empty.

The two reached the car. Kaoru threw open the back door and flung inside, followed by Hikaru. Mother was close behind, climbing into the passenger's seat.

"Dad's driving?" Kaoru gasped, surprised to see his father in the driver's seat for the first time in his sixteen years of life.

There was no response as his father stepped on the gas as soon as their mother closed the door. Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at each other, noticing the terror in on the other's face. Immediately they pulled close together. "We'll be okay," they whispered to each other simultaneously but the sirens drowned their voices out.


	3. Chapter 3

Downtown Ouran was in complete chaos. Traffic was bumper to bumper, barely moving at all. Hikaru stared out the window, watching crowds flood by on the small sidewalk. The noise of it all was almost unbearable: the thick sirens, the shouts of the people, and the cries of those in despair. And through all of it, Hikaru kept hearing Kaoru's thick coughs.

He turned to his brother as he went into another coughing fit. Hikaru frowned; Kaoru's cold should be almost gone, right? Kaoru was coughing into his mask and it looked like he wasn't getting much air from the thing, so Hikaru quickly yanked the thing off, knowing Kaoru was immune.

"What are you doing?" His mother hissed, flickering her gaze between Hikaru and her youngest son who was still coughing, but was breathing a little easier.

"He's immune, mom." Hikaru glared at her.

"Yes, but we can't let anyone see him without his mask. He could be mistaken as one of the infected," she said, her voice a little higher in the overbearing stress.

Hikaru looked away but immediately picked up Kaoru's mask again. He leaned close to his brother, resting a steady hand on his back. "You got to put this on again, okay Kao?"

Kaoru looked up, forcing back his coughs and nodded. "First let me see your hands," Hikaru demanded, grabbing Kaoru's wrists. They were clean, no blood. Hikaru sighed in relief but his heart continued to thump rapidly.

Kaoru yanked his hands away. "I'm fine Hikaru." He grabbed the mask and stung it over his face again, looking away.

"Just making sure," Hikaru assured his little brother.

They stared outside at the moving crowds. People were rolling suitcases behind them, carrying children, and every person were carrying their government papers. Hikaru wondered how many of these people would get into the sanctuaries. If your papers even held a faint sign of having the Red Plague, you would be disqualified from receiving shelter. Essentially, you were going to be left for dead outside.

Hikaru thought back to the drills they had in school recently. Always stay with your family. Report to the correct shelter. Always carry your government papers. There were so many rules; it was hard to think of them all. But one thing they've never been told was how long the shutdown would last. The teachers always told them that it was up to the government and how widespread the disease was.

"Shit!" their father cursed. Hikaru quickly snapped to attention; it wasn't very often that their father swore.

"What is it?" Kaoru questioned, leaning forward in his seat to peer out the windshield of their car.

"Traffic stopped," their father grumbled. People were abandoning their cars, leaving them on the road. The crowds were now streaming through the street, weaving between the cars. "Great."

"Well, let's go," mother said nervously. "We have to get there soon." She looked down, checking the time on her watch. Hikaru grimaced. From the time the first siren sounds, everyone only had an hour until the sanctuaries shut their doors, accepting no stragglers.

Father leaned forward, grabbing his wife before she opened the door and pulled her into a short kiss. Hikaru's heart thudded uneasily.

"All right," their father said, pulling away from the kiss and glancing at his twin sons. "We stick together. Hold on to each other." His eyebrows were pulled together in a tight-knit frown, worry emanating from his eyes.

Kaoru and Hikaru nodded simultaneously before latching onto each other's arm. Hikaru was determined to hold on to Kaoru for dear life. His little brother was the one person he knew he could never live without.

Hikaru pulled his little brother through his door, grasping his government papers. He glanced back at Kaoru to check that Kaoru had his. Thankfully, he did.

Their parents stood before them holding each other's hands. Mother grabbed onto Hikaru's wrist, pulling him forward. And soon they were walking, just more faces in a vast crowd. Hikaru was bumped and jostled by the rushing people around him.

They walked around the cars quickly. Hikaru supposed they only had about 20 minutes left. He looked behind him, noticing how the crowd thinned out further back. That's when he realized that they had wasted too much time by trying to drive to the sanctuaries. They were going to be some of the last inside.

Hikaru was pulled around a corner onto a new street. A harsh, pungent smell hit Hikaru, making him gag reflexively. It was the smell of the dead. Hikaru and Kaoru stepped over the body that was causing the smell. The woman's skin was yellowish with purple and red blotches. Blood stained her lips. In short, the woman looked absolutely awful.

Kaoru flinched, looking away, and pulled himself closer to Hikaru. He looked pale; Kaoru never had been able to stomach much.

The crowds bustled until they came to stop in a line. Hikaru stood on his toes, peering further up the line and noticed the Military personnel patrolling the sides, keeping everyone in line. To Hikaru's horror, an officer grabbed a man from the front of the line and pulled him away from the cowering people. The man was screaming, crying, but that wouldn't help him. He was covered in lesions—obvious side effects of the Red Plague. A little girl was screaming, she ran towards the man in the street, but she was snatched up by another guard and forcibly brought into the sanctuary.

Hikaru flopped back down on his feet, averting his eyes. The line moved steadily but slowly. Each person was thoroughly checked and rechecked before allowed inside. As the Hitachiins approached the front of the line, Hikaru got a good glimpse of what they were heading for.

Across the nation, the government had rapidly built "sanctuaries" for disease emergencies within the past month. They resembled, in a way, the shelters designed for nuclear fallouts. The one that stood before Hikaru was a large silver door, built directly onto the government building. It looked like it was made of steel maybe, Hikaru didn't know for sure. But what he did know was that the inside of the door led directly down under ground. And below would be rooms for family, food, facilities for daily life. It would be like a normal society, only smaller scale and underground. These sanctuaries were built to last a lifetime if necessary, but Hikaru knew they wouldn't be in there that long. This was just a lockdown until disease control was taken care of.

They moved forward until they were directly in front of the door. "Disease papers and identification," the nearest guard demanded, thrusting his hand forward.

The twins' parents presented their first. Hikaru fidgeted as he watched his parents being patted down and scanned with a hand-held metal detector. "Clear," the guard with their papers droned.

"Clear," the other two guards responded, finishing their body inspection.

"Proceed," the first guard said, waving the two through. Hikaru watched his parents walk into the open of the door of the sanctuary. They descended a few stairs and stopped to wait for their sons.

"Disease papers and identification," the guard said, turning to the two red-heads as he threw their parents' papers into the bin of cleared civilians.

Hikaru grabbed Kaoru's out of his hand and handed both of theirs to the man. Slowly, Hikaru dropped his brother's hand as they stepped forward to be inspected. Kaoru gave him a small reassuring smile.

The pat down was extremely uncomfortable. Hikaru struggled to remain still as he was patted down in the most uncomfortable of places. He just watched his brother, wondering how Kaoru was staying so calm when Hikaru was freaking out mentally.

He sucked in a shaky breath, when he heard the first guard call, "clear."

The other two guards stepped away from the brothers. "Clear."

"Proceed."

Hikaru stepped forward, eager to see the inside of the sanctuary. His parents were smiling warmly, glad both had passed. Hikaru stepped through the door with Kaoru close on his heels.

But then Kaoru suddenly coughed, roughly and loudly. Hikaru turned quickly to catch the guard grab Kaoru's shoulder to hold him back. "Hold on," the guard with the metal detector said.

Kaoru didn't respond; he was too busy coughing. "Hey!" Hikaru shouted, coming back up the stairs. "He just has a cold."

Hikaru reached out to grab his younger brother and Kaoru did the same; panic was written across both twins' faces. But just as Hikaru's hand almost touched Kaoru, he was pushed away by the other guard. "Step back!" he growled in Hikaru's face.

"He just has a cold!" Hikaru bellowed into the man's face.

Kaoru coughed again and the crowd in line jumped back as if he would kill them. "Kaoru!" Hikaru cried, struggling against the guard, but the man only tightened his grip on Hikaru's shoulders.

"What's going on?" his mother asked, coming back up the stairs followed by father. "Kaoru? Hikaru?" Her eyes flashed from one twin to the other.

"Let go of them," Hikaru heard his father growl from behind him.

The first officer peered down at the four Hitachiins before bending down and grabbing Kaoru's papers from the bin. He straightened, leafing through the stapled pages.

"He's immune," Hikaru spat, going still as Kaoru stopped coughing. His amber eyes were barely visible under his orange hair, but he could see the fear on Kaoru's face.

"Immune?" The officer laughed. "I've never heard of such a thing." He halted his rustling of the papers to look up with a glare. "I bet this kid had the Red Plague and you three were just trying to smuggle him in."

"No, he's immune!" Hikaru cried.

"He's done nothing wrong. He just has a cold!" mom cried.

The guard didn't listen; he just pulled Kaoru by the collar towards him and away from the rest of the family. "Hikaru!" Kaoru cried, reaching out.

Hikaru lurched forward, freeing one hand and tried to grab Kaoru but he was thrown backward by the guard once again. "Kaoru!"

"Get them inside!" the first guard ordered, waving at the sanctuary door.

"Hikaru!" Kaoru yelled once again. But he was shoved out of Hikaru's sight and away from the door while Hikaru was dragged into the door. "Kaoru!" he yelled back. He fought with all his might, thrashing and kicking against the man holding him.

But he was thrown inside the dark stairwell nonetheless and the door was slammed behind him. His parents were yelling behind and he looked down to see a fresh new set of guards from the inside dragging the two away.

Hikaru turned back to the door and flung himself at the door with all his might. "Kaoru! Kaoru!" he cried. And on the other side he heard a distant, "Hikaru!" He heard it even through the alarms, the yells, the echoing of the stairs.

But he was forced away from the door, wrenched away by strong hands. And all the way down the endless stairs, Hikaru screamed for his little brother.

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><p><strong>Oh no! Our poor little Kao! And Hikaru, what will he do? haha Well, I guess you'll just find out. This is my longest chapter that I've ever written on this site. I usually like to write in short chapters but in often updates... but this chapter came out non-stop. Don't forget to tell me what you think!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

Kaoru was dumped to the ground unceremoniously, several yards away from the door that slammed shut. As soon Kaoru noticed it was closed and that they would never let him in, he ceased his yells for Hikaru. It would be no use.

He glanced at the nervous, dwindling line still waiting in front of the sanctuary. They all looked terrified. But soon, as Kaoru picked himself carefully from the concrete, the line began moving again and the door was opened. Kaoru waited for a moment there, ignoring the sting of a scrape on his elbow, to see if Hikaru would exit those doors. But when he didn't, his hope deflated. Someone must have done something with Hikaru inside.

So Kaoru decided to do the only thing he could do, walk his way back home. Or maybe he should wander around to see what his next step would be. Kaoru shook his head; he really didn't know. All they've been taught in school was to go to the nearest sanctuary and to take cover. They never told them what to do if they weren't allowed inside.

He sighed and walked away from the sanctuary and noticed the looks of relief of the people's faces as he sauntered away. Kaoru smiled sadly to himself. What was this would coming to?

The street was eerily quiet. There were no sounds of cars, the lockdown alarms had switched off, and there were no birds… That last part scared him the most. Were even the birds taking shelter?

Kaoru rounded a corner onto a familiar road; it was the road Ouran High stood on. Seeking comfort, Kaoru made his way to the front gate. When he reached it, he stopped to stare at the towering buildings. He pressed on the gate. Locked.

Tilting his head, he glared at the building. He should have expected as much.

He turned quickly turned back to the street when he came face to face with a man, standing right behind him. "What the hell!" he cried, jumping back against the gate.

The man that stood there had red and purple spots all over his skin. Some parts were bleeding—most likely from itching. His brown was in disarray and his eyes were lidded. The guy took a stumbling step forward. "Help me," he moaned in a strangled voice.

Kaoru sucked in a panicked breath and paled. This… this was his Math teacher. Well yeah, he hated the guy because of the repeated chastising for not doing well enough on his tests but… he didn't want to see him like _this._

"It hurts," he pleaded, reaching out for Kaoru. But Kaoru jumped away.

He immediately took off running, putting distance between himself and his math teacher. His veins rushed with anxiety.

Kaoru found his way down the road to his mansion. His best bet was to take refuge at home. He could wait out the lockdown with plenty of food, water… He nodded to himself.

When he reached the Hitachiin estate, he stood outside the gates, contemplating. He really should have asked for spare keys. How was he supposed to get in? Kaoru placed a foot up on one of the swirling wires of the gate experimentally. He steadied himself, reaching up higher for support and then lifted himself.

Yay, great. He was halfway up. But Kaoru had no idea what to do next. There was nowhere else to step. He sighed, hanging there, looking around for a ledge. Kaoru edged along the side of the gate to the brick wall that encompassed the Hitachiin property. In one quick fluid movement, he threw himself at the wall. He then found himself in the impossible situation of hanging from the wall from just his arms.

With all his might, he twisted and pulled until he scrambled on top, teetering in exhaustion. "Well that was fun," Kaoru muttered to himself.

He glanced down the other side and estimated a nine foot drop. Nothing too bad, he supposed. Quickly, he threw himself over the edge and landed fluidly, only getting a small stinging sensation in his ankles.

"Now to get in the house," he puzzled.

He didn't have the key; the doors and windows were locked… He picked up a heavy rock and rounded the mansion to one of the more inconspicuous windows. He chucked the rock at the window, shattering it loudly. Kaoru glanced around him. The shattering had sounded like a bulldozer in this silent city.

He breathed slowly to calm himself and approached the window. Unfortunately, the window didn't break cleanly. There were razor-sharp shards still hanging from the sides. But there was enough space to crawl through.

Kaoru didn't really think about it though, he just pulled himself through and gasped when he accidently raked his arm with one of the shards. "Dammit!"

He stumbled onto the expensive carpet and inspected his arm. It was bloody. Quickly, he pulled the shard from his skin, gasping in pain.

The room was bright with light. "At least the power is still on."

He walked through house to the nearest bathroom just as another urge to cough wracked his system. Kaoru quickly grabbed onto the edge of the sink as he coughed and turned on the water with shaking hands. He had to get to get this wound cleaned.

He finished coughing and leaned forward to stick his arm under the faucet. But then the water spurted to a stop. "Wha-?" And, of course, the lights went out, plunging Kaoru into complete darkness. "Great. Just my luck."


	5. Chapter 5

Hikaru shifted his phone from hand to hand to see if a new angle would somehow create service for his phone to use. He sighed dramatically, dropping his hand to his side with a frown. His parents sat on the bench behind him. Hikaru turned to glare at them. He knew it wasn't their fault this all had happened, but he couldn't help but take his anger out on them.

Mother smiled sadly. She had drastically calmed down after they were locked in. "He'll be fine," she reasoned to her oldest son. "Kaoru can take care of himself. He's smart and resourceful. He's probably already at home and it won't be long before we are released. So don't worry so much, okay?"

Hikaru nodded. Some of the worry subsided as he looked at the smiles on his parents' faces. It couldn't be so bad if the two of them weren't worried, right.

He stood abruptly. "Is it alright if I look around?" he asked.

Father nodded. "Just come right back here when you are done. We will stay exactly in this spot."

Hikaru nodded and looked away to gaze upon the huge room. It had the feel of a warehouse in a way. The ceiling was high; this was surprising for an underground shelter. The room was narrow but it led on and on. It was so far; Hikaru couldn't see the end of it over the heads of the people gathered here. But this was only the common area. There were tons of smaller rooms built on to the room for individual family rooms- for sleeping or for privacy. There were also other rooms somewhere in the labyrinth for other uses. They had learned all about these sanctuary buildings at school.

Hikaru walked into the buzzing crowd, following the narrow path that wound into the masses. Occasionally, Hikaru would notice a face or two in the crowd: a girl from history class; a boy he had seen vaguely somewhere. But there weren't any faces he really knew.

His mind wandered back to his brother. Kaoru would be okay. It was just mom said; he was resourceful. He could get through anything. But even so, Hikaru felt the pit of fear and doubt churning in his stomach.

Suddenly a blonde head caught his eye. "Tamaki!" Hikaru called, pushing through the crowd in his direction.

The blonde spun around in surprise. His eyes widened with delight and a grin grew across his face. He immediately went to tackle his young friend. "Hikaru! It's been so long!"

Hikaru allowed himself to be folded into a brief hug before he pushed Tamaki off. "It's good to see you're okay, Tamaki."

Tamaki nodded and glanced expectantly behind Hikaru. Hikaru's smile dropped. "He's not here," Hikaru said quickly. "They didn't let him in because of his cold."

Tamaki frowned. "Just because of a cold?"

"He even had papers saying so! And top of it, he's immune! They should've let him in," Hikaru ranted, crossing his arms.

"Wait, did you say immune?" Tamaki asked in surprise.

"Yeah. They exist, apparently."

Tamaki smiled. "Well, at least we know he'll be safe from the Red Plague." Hikaru noticed a twinge of sadness in the blonde's eyes.

"Wait, do you know someone who is still outside?" Hikaru asked, moving closer.

"Haruhi," Tamaki said. His ever-present smile faded. "We looked pretty much everywhere around here… but no luck so far. We were looking for the two of you too…" he trailed off, lost in thought.

"That's weird. I wonder what happened to her," Hikaru voiced.

"Well," Tamaki cracked a small smile, "once lockdown is over, we will have to look for both Kaoru and Haruhi right away."

"That won't be anytime soon, unfortunately." Hikaru spun around at the voice.

He glared. "What do you mean Kyoya?" Hikaru wasn't surprised to see the shadow king; wherever Tamaki was, Kyoya couldn't be too far away.

Tamaki tilted his head, just as confused. "What are you talking about?"

Kyoya walked through the small crowd around the area and grabbed the two boys' arms. "Come with me. We can talk about this out here."

Hikaru followed Kyoya through the bustling crowd with Tamaki in tow. The constant chattering of the crowd was starting to give him a headache. All he wanted was some peace and quiet.

They stopped at a door along a row of many others. Kyoya took out a keycard and swiped it through the key pad. Hikaru glanced at name plate beside the door. The name 'Ootari' was written there.

"Got your own private room, Kyoya?" Hikaru grumbled as Kyoya led the two inside.

Kyoya laughed. "Hardly. All of the families are getting rooms like these."

Hikaru frowned and stepped inside the room and Tamaki closed the door behind them. It locked shut. Hikaru looked around the room. It was a small, bland room with two bunk beds lining either side of the room. To the left was a door that led to a tiny bathroom. In short, the room was very boring.

"See? Nothing fancy," Kyoya muttered, leaning against the framing of the left bunk bed. Tamaki slumped down on the bottom bunk of the right, sprawling out with a tired expression.

"Are the others still looking for Haruhi?" Tamaki asked, rolling onto his side.

Kyoya nodded. "Yes, but it pretty much pointless. I really doubt she's here."

"Anyway," Hikaru butted in, "what were you saying earlier?"

"Oh right," Kyoya said, turning to the Hitachiin, fixing his glasses. "I have inside information about the recent government options. And the current plan isn't just to take short shelter in the sanctuaries."

Hikaru paled. He had been sure they would only be here for a week at most. "How long is the lockdown?"

"Well, the lockdown is definitely scheduled to last for at least a month."

"A month?" Tamaki cried, swinging into a sitting position.

Kyoya ignored him and continued, "But that is the absolute minimum. Government officials are planning to keep everyone in the sanctuaries until the Red Plague is wiped out. Every. Last. One." Kyoya's face darkened with his words.

"So what you're saying is that the government wants the rest of the people left outside to die out."

Kyoya nodded once.

Hikaru turned away, working his jaw. "I have to go check on my parents." And quickly he threw the door open rushed away with thoughts storming in his mind.

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><p><strong>Well that sucks for all of them, doesn't it? Please review! <strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh what an awful week it has been. I had econ and math tests, a paper due for film class, a portfolio due for Creative writing, and 2 projects for management class. And on top of it, work. AHHH the frustration! Well, at least it is all over now and I could actually write today. Anyway, please enjoy! I am really proud of this chapter, you know, considering the recent mental stress I've endured.**

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><p>Kaoru gathered up a handful of paper towels and pressed them to the gaping wound. The liquid immediately stained the paper red and continued to leak down the side of his arm. "Dammit, it's worse than I thought." He threw the soggy mess aside and opened a kitchen drawer to his mother's precious kitchen towels. "Mom's gonna kill me," he told himself, grabbing the dark maroon one.<p>

Quickly, Kaoru unfolded it and pressed it to his arm. It stung; he squeezed his eyes shut to endure the pain. He needed to clean this wound, fast. So he held the towel to his arm and ventured back to the bathroom, walking slowly due to the lack of lighting.

When he finally reached the bathroom that he and Hikaru shared, he opened the mirror cabinet, balanced the towel on his wound, and pulled out a bottle—hydrogen peroxide. Crap this was going to hurt.

He lifted the sticky towel and cringed at the mess there; blood dripped off his elbow. "Here we go," he whispered to himself, placing the towel on the white counter and grabbing the bottle. Kaoru unscrewed the top and held the bottle above the wound, hesitating.

He breathed deeply. "One, two… three," he counted, letting the liquid slosh over the stinging cut. At impact, sharp pain rippled through his arm, making it spasm. He panted, pulling the bottle away. "Oh god, oh god," he muttered through the pain and shook his arm as if that would make it any better. He breathed in slowly through gritted teeth.

Suddenly a light beep grabbed Kaoru's attention. "Wait," he said, suddenly ignoring the cut and dug into his pants pocket. He pulled out the small phone and stared. He had two bars of service. Without a second thought, he flipped it open and pushed his speed dial for Hikaru's name. The red-head held the phone to his ear and examined his reflexion in the mirror. He looked ghastly; his cheeks were pale, blood on his clothes.

He glanced away and focused on the phone as it took its time connecting. Quickly opening the cabinet, Kaoru searched for bandages. They had to have some decent bandages somewhere. But, unfortunately, all he found were small Band-Aids.

The phone began ringing. "Come on, come on," he whispered, turning around and leaning on the counter. He placed the phone into the hand of his injured arm and used his other to put pressure on the glass wound.

"Kaoru?" a worried voice called abruptly through the speaker.

"Hikaru, Hikaru are you okay?" Kaoru yelled back, tensing his shoulders. He fought back tears. He couldn't be a baby now; they've only been separated for only a few hours.

"Of course, stupid. I'm in the sanctuary," Hikaru scolded. "You should be more worried about yourself. Are _you _okay? You're not hurt are you?"  
>Kaoru's eyes flicked to the newly oozing wound beneath his fingers and his breathing hitched. "I'm fine," he said after a moment.<p>

"You paused," Hikaru's voice rose. "You're hurt aren't you?"

"I'm fine, Hikaru. I'm fine," Kaoru cried, resisting the urge to cough. His throat was beginning to tickle again. Kaoru quickly changed the subject. "The power is out here."

There was a short pause. "Hikaru?" Kaoru asked, fear grabbing at his chest.

"The power is out?" Hikaru asked, his voice sounding hollow.

"What's wrong, Hikaru?" Kaoru's voice began to shake.

Hikaru paused again. "I don't know how long we will be in here, Kao… You should find Haruhi and find somewhere place to stay. And… and gather supplies."

"Hold on. You're talking as if we won't see each other for a while."

Hikaru was silent.

"Oh, so we won't," Kaoru stated what Hikaru wouldn't say.

"Yeah."

Kaoru frowned, removing his hand from his wound. It was bleeding too much. So he grabbed the towel again and pressed it to his arm. "So… Haruhi is out here still?" Kaoru asked somberly.

"Just you and her. All of the other host club members are here," Hikaru replied.

Kaoru nodded to himself. "Okay I'll find her and Hikaru-" But the line went dead in an annoying dial tone.

"Sorry, we cannot forward-" Kaoru silenced the recorded voice and stared blankly at the wall.

He blinked slowly and slid the phone back into his pocket. Maybe he would get service again soon. Sighing, Kaoru turned to the cabinet along the wall by the door and took a thick blue shower towel; he wrapped his arm with the towel and tied it the best he could with one hand.

But it was still too loose; there wasn't enough pressure. So he returned to the kitchen and rolled open a drawer to grab what he needed. Kaoru unraveled the black duct tape and stuck it to the towel, winding it around and around until it held the towel firmly in place.

"Perfect," he said with a small smile. He took this as a small victory and basked in it because who knows what could happen next. By what Hikaru said, it sounded like he would be out here longer than he planned and he would have to be prepared for the worst. Kaoru decided to start by staying positive.

Soon after that, Kaoru began gathering supplies in a backpack: matches, water, a few granola bars, Band-Aids, a flashlight, one small blanket, and really anything else he could shove into the red pack. And when he was done, he pulled it over his shoulders and groaned. It was so heavy. Maybe he should take a few things out before he set out for Haruhi's house.

But a crash somewhere inside the house made him freeze. He held his breath and backed against the wall near the kitchen door to the hall.

"You check upstairs and we'll take this floor. Grab whatever you can!" a voice echoed through the halls.

Looters, great. Kaoru immediately bolted for the exit out the back kitchen door. He unlocked it, yanked it open, and closed it as quietly as he could. Kaoru ran into the back gardens and then dove into a space between the bushes, narrowly avoiding a man pacing by with a gun in hand. He was scanning the area as he paced off further into the gardens. Seriously? They were looting housing already? Kaoru shook his head in exasperation.

As soon as the guy was out of sight, Kaoru bolted upwards and down the side of the house. There was nowhere to go but out the front; the rest of the estate's perimeters were fenced in. Kaoru sucked in a breath and plunged around the side of his home; his eyes darted around him, scanning for more the looters.

When he reached the front, he slid behind a tree and peered discretely around the side of the bark. There were two men standing at his front steps, talking, gesturing with their guns. Kaoru chewed his lip. How was he to get them away from the front without getting caught?

Fortunately Kaoru didn't even have to worry. The two walked right inside the front doors. Kaoru braced himself, taking a deep breath to calm his pulsing nerves, and then ran. His legs and lungs burned in the sudden effort; Kaoru choked back a cough.

He raced right through the luscious green grass to the front gate. The gate was broken, torn aside forcefully. How did Kaoru not even hear them break down the front gate? But he continued forward, not dwelling on it.

It seemed like forever when he had finally made his way through the gate at the end of the long driveway and we he did, he debated which way to run. But then he saw the van. It must but the looter's van… But it would be so much easier than walking across town to Haruhi's. Besides, the van was already running with the keys in the ignition.

Kaoru made his choice, barreling into the driver's seat, buckling in and throwing his pack into the passenger's seat. And then he stared at the controls and the steering wheel. He felt his foot around for the pedal and moved his seat so he could reach it better. And finally he rammed the van into drive and slammed on the gas. Today was a good day to learn how to drive.

**Hey, lovely readers! I have a new fan fiction out TODAY! It is titled "Paper Cranes and Paper Hearts". It's about Kao and Hikaru of course. So check it out if you feel the urge. Also, do not forget about my other fic, "Lost Without You." That fic is ALMOST finished. Woot woot!**


	7. Chapter 7

Kaoru winced as the van clunked over the curb. His breathing was uneven as he swerved around another curb. He really should've learned to drive earlier; who knew it would have come so handy?

But what scared Kaoru the most were the people in the street. There were much more people still out here than Kaoru originally thought… Sure, it wasn't a million people, but he had seen at least ten people outside during his stressful drive. And they all decided to stand on the road. When had that ever been a good idea?

Kaoru gasped, seeing another woman in the middle of the road. He slammed on the breaks suddenly which caused his body to lurch forward. He strained against the seatbelt with his heart pounding against his chest. He glanced up, panting.

Immediately he paled. She was standing inches away from the front of the car. He could have killed her! And… And she hadn't moved at all, facing away from him.

Kaoru rolled down the window, worried. "Uh lady? Are you okay?" he called. There was silence, no movement. Kaoru shuddered in fear. What the hell was wrong with her?

But instead, Kaoru jammed the van into reverse, backed up in a flash, and reeled forward in a burst of speed. He slammed on the break to slow down next to the woman. "Dammit, I'm no good at this," Kaoru muttered as the van abruptly stopped. But he rolled forward, glancing out his window.

"Hey are you…" he trailed off, seeing the woman's face. It was covered in lesions and her graying hair hung limply over her sagging shoulders. Her eyes were glazed as she stared off into the darkening sky. She was the worst Kaoru has ever seen; there was streams of blood trickling down her slackened jaw.

Kaoru stepped on the gas with wide eyes. His arms shook as he accelerated. He watched the speedometer jump up to 60 in no time, not bothering to slow down.

But then he slammed on the breaks again, narrowly missing a car parked in the middle of the street. "Why is everything in the middle of the road?" Kaoru growled, frustrated. Carefully, he navigated his way around the car, bumping over the curb onto the sidewalk and back down again. And he was off again.

It was at least 20 minutes later by the time he was pulling into Haruhi's neighborhood. (He had gotten lost a couple of times.) But when he pulled onto her feeble street, he sighed in relief; it was torture getting there. When this was all over, Kaoru promised to learn to properly drive.

Kaoru jerked to a halt outside the apartment complex and silenced the engine. He breathed deeply and stepped from the van, pulling his backpack with him. Quickly, he made his way up the stairs and knocked on Haruhi's door.

He waited there in silence but nothing happened. So he knocked again, louder and more forcefully. "Come on," he whispered.

Suddenly there was a click on the other side of the door, the sounds of the locks. The door inched open. "Kaoru?" the voice asked thinly.

"Yeah, it's me, Haruhi. Can you let me in?"

There was a pause but then the door swung open anyway. Without warning, Haruhi flung herself into Kaoru's arms, pulling him into a hug. Kaoru, thoroughly surprised, slowly squeezed back. Her small frame shook beneath his grasp.

"Are you okay, Haruhi?" Kaoru mumbled into her hair.

She pulled away and wiped at her tear-streaked eyes. Shaking her head, she replied, "No, not at all."

"What's wrong?" Kaoru asked. He looked her over. She looked absolutely fine. There were no spots on her body; she wasn't coughing; no blood was visible.

"Come inside," she said lowly. Her eyes darted around the neighborhood anxiously before she backed into the apartment, followed by Kaoru.

Inside, she immediately closed the door and locked the bolts and locks. Kaoru never before saw the girl act so paranoid.

"Where is everyone else?" Haruhi questioned suddenly.

"They are all inside the sanctuaries. You and I are the only ones outside," Kaoru explained, walking further inside her home and sitting down on the floor.

Haruhi joined him, leaning against the wall. "Why are you still out here?" she asked.

"Well, I am immune, so I should have gotten in with no doubts. But for some reason, the sanctuary guards didn't believe me when I said I was immune. They thought I was lying. They kicked me out because I was coughing from this small cold I have."

Haruhi nodded. "But you don't seem like you have a cold."

"Getting over it," Kaoru replied.

"And what's that on your arm?"

Kaoru glanced down. "Oh the towel. I cut myself breaking into my own house."

"Let me see," she said, moving towards him. Carefully, she unwound the towel. Kaoru bit his lip at the dull pain of his arm. And when she finally pulled the cloth away, she gasped. "So much blood," she whispered, gaping at the crusted and smearing bloody mess. She glanced up with worry in her eyes. "We need to clean this up."

"But I just did," Kaoru whined.

"Well," Haruhi said with a glare, "the cut is still oozing, so you must've not done a good enough job. You need a bandage on this, not just a towel."

Haruhi stood up and scurried away to the bathroom. When she returned with armfuls of medical objects and immediately she screwed off the top of a water bottle and poured a cool stream down Kaoru's warmed arm; she cleaned the blood away with a wet cloth.

"So why are you still out here? Did you get kicked out too?"

Haruhi shook her head. "No, I didn't even show up for entrance into the sanctuaries."

"Why?" Kaoru asked, worried at the sad expression on her face.

She squirted some disinfectant onto the wound making Kaoru flinch at the stinging sensation. "It's… I'll show you in a second," she said.

Haruhi continued to clean and dress the wound in silence. Kaoru allowed his mind to wander. He thought about all that happened and about what was to come. Sighing, he realized how tiring this all was. Finally, after a few minutes, Haruhi patted on the last part of the bandage.

"There you go," she said softly.

"Thanks." Kaoru flexed his arm, surprised that there was little pain.

Haruhi stood. "Well, I suppose I'll show you," she said. Her face was grave.

Kaoru jumped to his feet and followed her as she walked away towards the back of the apartment. She stopped at one of the doors and rolled it aside. Haruhi stepped back, gesturing for Kaoru enter first.

Gulping, Kaoru forced himself to step inside. The first thing that hit him was the smell; the smell of the dead. And then his eyes were caught on the motionless form on the bed. It was Haruhi's dad, Ranka.

Kaoru felt the blood rush from his face. The man was lying there, sleeping, but he was covered in spots. And those spots could only mean one thing.

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><p><strong>I went to Olive Garden a few hours ago and that just inspired me to write. Why would that inspire me? Heck if I know. It just did. Don't question it. <strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello everyone! Sorry that I went MIA on this fiction for the last week. But it was mostly because I was finishing up "Lost Without You" and I was being obsessive over Supernatural and Naruto. So yeah. At least I wrote it now finally. haha**

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><p>Kaoru heard the faint scrape of the door as it rolled aside. Immediately, Kaoru shot up from his makeshift bed on the floor and glared through the dark at the source of the sound.<p>

"Haruhi," he hissed, seeing her shadowy form standing outside of her door. "Don't even think about it."

She sighed and the silhouette of her head dropped, signaling her anger. Kaoru fought his way out of the blankets, stood, and walked to her side. "Haruhi," he said quieter as he approached. She turned her head away but Kaoru was close enough to see the tears glistening off her cheeks in the dim moonlight.

He came to a stop next to her and leaned against the wall, letting his orange bangs fall in front of his eyes. "I know this is hard… but it has to be done."

Haruhi frowned heatedly and wiped her chocolate brown eyes roughly with the sleeve of her pajama shirt. "I want to take care of him. It's my job," she muttered into the silent room.

Kaoru rested his head against the cool wall and closed his eyes briefly. He was getting tired of arguing with Haruhi. "He's sick. And you aren't immune. We already agreed that I would be the one to take care of your dad because you could catch it. And we both know that your dad wouldn't want to cause you to catch the Red Plague."

Haruhi shook her head defiantly. "He's dying, Kaoru, and you won't let me see him? Let's face it," she hissed, "it's been five days since you showed up and in all of that time, Dad hasn't gotten any better. He's going to die. There's no doubt. I just want to spend some time with him while I-I-I still can." She choked on a sob and wrapped an arm around her eyes.

Kaoru stood there, at a loss for words. What does one say to console someone in Haruhi's situation?

Instead, Kaoru straightened up and grabbed her shoulder. She flinched slightly away but Kaoru didn't let that bother him. "Alright, Haruhi, let's go see him."

Haruhi dropped her arm and looked up at him suspiciously. "Wait a minute… why are you letting me all of a sudden?"

Kaoru sighed and fidgeted while leaning on the wall again. He looked away as he began, "I've suspecting it for a while, actually." He ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Your dad… won't last very long. Maybe just a few more days."

"How do you know?" Haruhi snapped, narrowing her eyes.

Kaoru looked her right in the eyes; the moonlight shadowed her face. "He started coughing up blood last night," he stated.

Haruhi's shoulders drooped in despair. They both knew very well that bloody cough came in the final stage of the disease. "What other symptoms does he have?" she whispered with her head down.

"Chills, discoloration, a cold; he's got the whole thing, really. He lost consciousness a couple times yesterday," Kaoru said gently.

Haruhi's face was completely downtrodden. She sniffed lightly and Kaoru immediately pulled her into a hug. "We'll get through this," Kaoru assured her. When he pulled away, Haruhi was nodding.

"I knew this was coming for a long time," she replied. "I should be more prepared…"

"You are doing just fine considering the circumstances."

"Yeah, considering," she said sarcastically. She stepped forward, "Come on. Let's go check on him."

They stepped the short distance to his door and Haruhi rolled the door quietly aside. She stepped inside tentatively with Kaoru on her heal. Stopping abruptly, the two watched the sleeping form of her father.

His breathing was labored, quickly and light; he opened his mouth and blood trickled down the corner of his lips. Curling into his self and clutched at his chest near the lungs. The lungs were the main area the Red Plague attacked, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Haruhi's lips trembled. "Daddy?" she asked uncertainly in a high, scared voice.

Kaoru stayed back near the door as she crouched down near the motionless man. She reached into the bucket near his head and found the fresh towel floating inside the water Kaoru had just replaced with bottled water. Haruhi wrung the wet towel out and placed it onto her father's forehead, wiping it clean of the sweat. She then cleared away the blood.

"Is it warm enough?" she questioned, watching her dad shiver slightly beneath the blankets.

"The water is as warm as I could get it without power," Kaoru replied.

Haruhi nodded and went back to placing the towel gently on his forehead. "Haruhi," the rough voice disturbed the night. Haruhi froze, looking down at her dad.

His eyes were open but just barely. His gaze snapped between Haruhi and Kaoru. "Haruhi… I love you," he whispered, struggling.

Kaoru took a match from his pocket, fired it up and grabbed the candle on the dresser to light it. He deemed tonight was a good night to use one of their precious few matches.

Haruhi smiled in appreciation before turning back to her father. "Dad, I love you too."

With effort, he smiled up at Haruhi. The movements made Haruhi stifle a sob. "Don't leave me Dad," she cried. "I still need you."

He reached up with a bloody hand. Haruhi quickly wiped off his fingers with the wet towel. "Thank you," he whispered, bringing his hand to her hair, stroking it slowly. "Haruhi, my time is almost up." Haruhi shook her head. "You'll be okay, I promise. Kaoru already promised to take care of you."

Kaoru looked away to stare into the candle while Haruhi glanced at him in surprise.

Her father continued, pulling his hand back down to chest, "And I know Tamaki will be there for you once you meet back up with him." Her face reddened. "Just remember that you aren't alone. And… mom and I will look out for you from Heaven. Okay?"

Before Haruhi could reply, there was a crash outside the apartment. Haruhi sat straight up, looking up at Kaoru nervously.

Kaoru held a hand out for her to stay put. "I'll go check it out," he whispered.

Quickly, Kaoru raced to the window closest to the door in silence. He crouched down and pulled the curtain aside just slightly with a single finger. The light of the street lamp filtered in and he squinted into the street.

Down below, four men circled Kaoru's stolen car. The driver's window was shattered and one of the four was leaning inside. "Shit," Kaoru whispered with widened eyes. Those men in the street… they didn't look too friendly.

"Haruhi," he hissed into the apartment, dropping the curtain back into place. "Blow out the candle immediately."

He stared at the lit door until finally the room went dark, plunging the apartment into full blackness. Kaoru turned back to the window and peeled the curtain aside a second time. Kaoru's heart immediately jumped. There were only two by the car now. The other two were making their way towards the apartment complex. Kaoru and Haruhi were sitting ducks.


	9. Chapter 9

"Shit, shit, shit!" Kaoru cried, crawling away from the window. He scrambled to his feet and flew into the room where Haruhi sat with her father. "Haruhi, there is some guys outside and I think they are going to check the apartments!" Kaoru hissed quietly.

Her head shot up as she dabbed the wet towel to her dad's forehead. "What? What should we do?" Her eyes were wide with panic.

"Do you have a back exit to this place?" Kaoru asked, glancing around.

Haruhi shook her head. "No but it doesn't matter because I am not leaving here without my dad."

Kaoru frowned but her father gasped suddenly and forced out slow words, "Haruhi…. You have to… you have to leave me. I-I-I'm going to die anyway. I just want you to be okay." He blinked sluggishly.

Haruhi shook her head again; her eyes brimmed with tears. A loud shout from somewhere outside jolted the two and Haruhi stared at Kaoru fearfully. Kaoru shot up from the floor and grabbed his and Haruhi's backpacks from beside the door. The two packs were full of supplies they would need in case of an emergency; it was a good thing that Kaoru had planned this ahead of time. He left the third pack in place. They wouldn't need it.

Kaoru rushed back into the room and dropped Haruhi's backpack beside her as she exchanged a mumbled conversation with her dad. Kaoru paid no attention; he set his pack down by the dresser and pulled a notepad out from the front pocket and scribbled a quick message and tucked it beneath the edge of the lamp.

He turned back to Haruhi. She was crying now, holding her dad's hand. "Come on Haruhi," Kaoru said hesitantly, holding out a hand out to her.

Haruhi looked up at him and slowly took his hand, pulling herself to her feet with her backpack. Mr. Fujioka was breathing hard and unevenly. "Take care of my daughter," he whispered.

"I will," Kaoru replied. "Goodbye."

"I love you dad," she managed between a sob.

"Love you too," he whispered back.

A loud crash signaled the men's presence in the apartment next door. "Shit!" Kaoru growled. He flew to the window and ripped it open. A light breeze flowed in, rippling through the white curtains. He leaned out and looked around. They were on the second floor; too high to jump. He stared around quickly until his eyes rested on the drain pipe. "Haruhi," he called sharply. Kaoru stepped back to allow her to go to the window. "We have to climb down the drain pipe."

Haruhi looked petrified. "Okay," was all she said before she was pulling herself through the window. The banging continued through the thin walls. Kaoru gulped nervously; they must be tearing the whole apartment apart! He watched Haruhi swing herself onto the drain flawlessly and begin to descend down as if it were a fire pole. Kaoru breathed slowly to calm himself and then mounted the window.

"Good luck," were the whispered words from the dying man left behind.

"Thanks," he whispered back before grabbing ahold of the drain pipe. The weight of the backpack threw him off balance for a second before he got his foothold. Below, Haruhi dropped safely to the ground and Kaoru followed. He had just jumped the last few feet when a loud crash erupted from the apartment above. "Go, go, go!" Kaoru urged Haruhi. He grabbed her hand and they ran down the side of the apartment complex, close to the wall so that no one would see them if they looked out the window. They stuck to the shadows.

They ran in the direction of the alleyways when suddenly a gun shot rang through the air. Haruhi stopped, glancing back up at her windows in terror. "Dad," she gasped.

"Haruhi!" Kaoru hissed. "We have to go. They might see us!"

Haruhi turned back and they began to run once again. They made their way down a few streets away from Haruhi's. "We need to find some sort of transportation," Kaoru whispered as they slowed their pace. Both huffed from the effort of running.

"The train station is not too far from here," Haruhi said.

"But the trains wouldn't be running," Kaoru replied matter-of-factly.

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "I meant that we should go and follow the tracks. I don't think there would be any looters or anyone dangerous down there. It would be the safest way to go."

Kaoru nodded, contemplating. "Okay," he said slowly. "Let's try it."

They walked through the empty streets. The only noises came from the occasional stray dog or bird. It was eerie walking through a city so empty; it felt much like an apocalypse. "When this is all over," Kaoru said, "I'm getting every flu shot they offer."

They reached the subway station a little while later. The steps that led down into the ground were garbage-laden and stone quiet. Haruhi and Kaoru stood at the top, hesitating. The descent down was darker than the night above ground.

Kaoru swallowed and said, "Haruhi, grab my flashlight from my pack."

"Should I grab mine too?"

"No, we'll save the battery power. It's going to be dark for a long time down there," Kaoru reasoned.

Haruhi unzipped the pack on his back and found the black flashlight, flipping it on. The light sharply illuminated the darkened street; Kaoru winced away from the sudden brightness. He wished that there were more solar powered street lamps in this city like the one outside of Haruhi's apartment.

Haruhi flashed the light down the concrete stairs. It was empty but they could see nothing beyond the bend in the stairs. Kaoru sighed. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

They descended quietly; their deafening footsteps echoed across the station. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Haruhi scanned the light across the whole station, breathing shallowly. "Looks like we're all clear," she whispered.

They made their way to the turnstiles and jumped easily over the top of the lifeless devices. "We're going to have to jump down into the tracks," Haruhi said, coming to a stop along the edge of the platform. She shined her light down into the short drop onto the concrete. "It shouldn't be so bad."

"As long as there is a place to get back up," Kaoru whispered back.

They both sat down on the edge of the platform, getting ready to jump, when Kaoru's phone went off shrilly. Kaoru's hand shot into his pocket with his heart racing. And when he pulled it out, he saw Hikaru's name on his caller ID.

"Hello?" he said immediately as he flipped it open.

The phone crackled loudly, only bringing in snippets of Hikaru's words.

"Hikaru, Hikaru, are you there?" Kaoru said in the phone.

_KSSSHHHHH, _"Kaoru," _KSSHHHHH, "you can't," KSSSSHHHHHH, "_safe…"

Kaoru shook his head, only guessing to what Hikaru could be talking about. "Hikaru I'm safe," he said quickly, annunciating clearly in case Hikaru's end of the phone was just as bad. "I'm with Haruhi. We're both okay."

_KSSSHHHHHHHH. _ The dial tone sounded loudly through the speaker and Kaoru pushed END in annoyance. "Dammit," he said as he looked at the battery power. The battery was dangerously low; the bar was empty and it would only be a matter of time until it died. He snapped the phone shut and shoved it into his pocket.

He breathed in deeply and glanced at Haruhi. "Let's go," he said and the two dropped down onto the tracks.

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><p><strong>Next is Hikaru's point of view. Sorry about the late update.<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

Hikaru paced around the room, waiting for the doors to be unlocked for the morning; he _needed _to see the others. He wanted to make a plan to find his younger brother and he knew it wouldn't be possible without the rest of the Host Club members. And most of all, he wanted to tell them about his call to Kaoru last night.

Glancing at the clock, he determined it to be 6:58. Just two more minutes… he paced faster. "Stop pacing, Hikaru," mom's soft voice called from where she was still lying on the bed. Dad was in the shower.

"I can't," Hikaru said simply, continuing to pace.

She groaned, putting an arm over her eyes. The room was dark, but the light always came on at 7 AM; Hikaru could tell that she was bracing herself for the sudden light.

"Aren't you worried?" Hikaru asked suddenly. Mom peaked through her fingers at him. "Aren't you worried about Kaoru?"

"Of course I am," she said softly. She sat up with a frown on her face. "But all I can do right now is to keep myself from going crazy with worry."

Hikaru nodded and looked away. She was right, he supposed, but he still did not plan on sitting around while Kaoru was in danger.

"Hikaru," she said softly, "you better not be planning something. I don't think I could take it if both of my sons were missing…" She trailed off and her eyes sparkled with tears.

Hikaru couldn't reply because… he _was_ planning something. He didn't know exactly what yet, but he was still planning. Thankfully, that was the moment the light flipped on, blinding the room; the door beeped softly, proclaiming that it was finally unlocked. "Bye mom," he said quickly, kissing her on the cheek. "I'm going to go hang out with Tamaki and Kyoya." The door slid open automatically for him as he approached and he burst into the common rooms just as the first few early-risers made their way out of their rooms. He weaved his way through the hallway until he stopped outside Kyoya's room; leaning against the wall, he waited. The Host Club had been meeting by Kyoya's room every day for the full week they've been down here. But still, they were no closer to finding a way out of this place.

"Kaoru," Tamaki called as he walked up to him. He attempted a small smile but it sat falsely on the blonde's face. Tamaki's smiles were less frequent these days without Haruhi.

"Tamaki," Hikaru replied with a nod. "Are Honey and Mori coming?"

"Yeah, I think they'll be on time today. Mori promised that they would try to get up early."

Hikaru smiled when the door to his right suddenly zipped open. Out trudged a very tired Kyoya; his eyes were lidded beneath his slightly messy black hair. He glanced around at their small group before scowling. "Mori and Honey better be here pretty quick," he growled.

They stood there quietly, allowing Kyoya some to wake up until finally, Honey and Mori appeared ten minutes late. "Sorry," Honey smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I woke up late again."

Kyoya disregarded it as he spoke up, "My parents seemed to have slept in late today, so we cannot use my room for this meeting. Does anyone know of a private place to go? I have yet to obtain the blue prints of this facility…"

The group looked around at each other uncertainly. The fact that Kyoya didn't know much about the Sanctuary made everyone feel uneasy; the security here was tight. It had everyone on edge.

"My parents are still in their room," Kaoru said, breaking the silence. The others nodded their agreement.

Tamaki leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. "I don't think I can handle a whole month of this. Not knowing what is happening to Haruhi and Kaoru… it's killing me."

Hikaru crouched down to the floor, followed by the others. "Well, actually, I had one bar of service last night," Hikaru said, smiling.

Tamaki looked up with wide eyes. "And?"

"And Kaoru couldn't hear me, but I could hear him. He said he and Haruhi were okay."

Tamaki smiled genuinely, letting out a heavy breath as he pulled his knees to his chest. "He found Haruhi," he said airily. He leaned his head back against the concrete.

"Did he say anything else?" Kyoya questioned. Did you notice anything else in the background?"

Hikaru shook his head but then paused. "Wait… his voice was echoing a tiny bit. But that's about it. I think it was just because of the poor cell connection."

Kyoya nodded but said no more as he frowned to himself.

Suddenly the overhead speakers crackled and the daily morning tune echoed through the halls of the Sanctuary. The group straightened, listening for today's news.

"Hello happy Sanctuary patrons," the happy-go-lucky woman laughed through the speakers. "Rise and Shine. Today will be another fabulous day. The temperature is 72 degrees, as per usual and today's breakfast will be served up buffet style. Won't that be a treat?"

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "She's too happy."

Honey giggled as the woman continued, "Today's activities are as follows: Tikes' day care is available all day long. Children's library and gym time will open at 7:15, the teen game room opens at 10:30, and adult social groups will be available at 11:30." Hikaru repeatedly hit the back of his head against the concrete wall, willing the woman to hurry up.

"Finally, we will be having a mandatory Sanctuary meeting in TEN minutes. Children under the age of twelve are not required to attend. Please drop them off at their respective locations prior to the meeting. And that concludes today's announcements. Please, have a joyous day here in the Sanctuary," the woman finished.

Tamaki stood. "A Sanctuary meeting? They never had one of those before!" Tamaki exclaimed, looking around at them, bewildered.

Hikaru held out his hands to calm him, saying, "Hold on Tamaki, it's probably nothing. They are probably going to assign us a new rotation on chores or something." But Hikaru didn't quite believe his own words.

Kyoya frowned. "Actually, Hikaru, I agree with Tamaki on this one. A meeting is a bit strange. They have been doing everything in an exact routine since we got here. Why would they schedule a meeting? It is a bit out of character for them." Kyoya stood, placing an arm on Tamaki's shoulder, calming him silently.

"Well, we'll only find out if we go to the meeting," Honey pointing out.

The Host Club made their way to the Commons; it was incredibly crowded. It felt like the first day all over again. An uneasy feeling washed over Hikaru as they settled into the crowd near the middle. He glanced around until he caught his mother's eyes. She smiled, waving at him; Hikaru returned the wave to assure her that he was alright.

"Hello," a woman's voice echoed over the crowd. The Commons grew quiet as everyone turned their attention to the woman on the small stage. Screens on either side made her clearer to see. She had black hair with dark-rimmed glasses. She smiled widely; Hikaru recognized her to be the woman who did the morning announcements. "We have important news for our guests today, and here to present it is our Sanctuary leader, Mr. Lee."

She walked off stage and an older man approached the podium. "Now this news may come as a shock to some. Some may be happy and others will be angry. Either way, I ask for all of you to remain calm. This is a decision of the government, not of my own."

Hikaru looked at the others worriedly. Their wide eyes reflected his own troubled eyes; something was wrong here.

Mr. Lee continued, "We have been notified by the government that we may not have to stay in the Sanctuaries much longer." Cheers went up to fill the room but Hikaru waited in silence, listening for the catch. Mr. Lee barreled forward, "The Red Plague may be under control faster than we originally thought. International personal have created a new system to purge the Red Plague. Starting exactly a week from today… the extermination will begin."

Mr. Lee paused as the room filled with shocked silence. Soft whispering filled the room. Hikaru felt the blood drain from his cheeks.

"The government will start by releasing powders into infested areas to subdue those who are affected… And soon after that, they will rid of all those on the outside." He smiled slowly, "This means we will be plague-free in two weeks!" Suddenly the crowd was cheering all around the Host Club.

Hikaru glanced at his friends. They were all frozen in shock. Hikaru curled his hands into fists as the crowd continued to cheer until finally he heard the broken wailing of a single woman. The Commons hushed as the woman screamed, "What about my daughter! She's still out there and she doesn't have the Red Plague! What will happen to her?"

Mr. Lee looked down on her with a sympathizing frown. "I'm sorry for loss… but your daughter will be considered a hero, sacrificed to save millions." He quickly turned and addressed the crowd. "It is what is. I have no control over it. Everyone enjoy the rest of your day." And with that, he quickly left the stage, leaving the crowd in turmoil.

Hikaru stared numbly at the empty stage as he listened to the mix of jubilant and livid voices of the crowd. "What about Kaoru?" he whispered.

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><p><strong>Uh oh, things are getting more intense!<strong>

**Also, thanks goes to Chibiforte13 for brainstorming ideas with me for this chapter. :D**


	11. Chapter 11

Kaoru's breath echoed off the walls as they walked silently. The light shined dimly across the concrete before flickering once.

"The battery is dying," Haruhi said tiredly.

Kaoru stopped and pulled his backpack off his shoulders while Haruhi turned the flickering light on him. Unzipping the front pocket, Kaoru rummaged through the full compartment. "Dammit. Why didn't I think of packing more batteries?" He dropped the pack roughly to the floor.

Haruhi swung off her own bag with a sigh. "It's not your fault, Kaoru. I didn't think of it either. But at least we packed those candles right?"

Kaoru nodded once as the flashlight wavered lowly against the shadows. "It's just that we've been following this path all night and it feels like we've gotten nowhere." He kicked the edge of the railroad, gritting his teeth.

"We passed three ports already," Haruhi responded, squatting down by her pack, "That's something at least."

Kaoru backed against the cold wall and shuffled his feet. "Where are we heading to anyway?"

Haruhi shrugged, pulling out one of the tiny white candles and a lighter. "I don't know. But what I do know is that this is safer than traveling above ground." She cast him stern glare to shut him up and then went to work on trying to light the lighter. "Anyway, I think we should take a break for sleep."

His nose twitched. "Fine," he sighed. "But at least let me walk a bit ahead to check it out."

Haruhi nodded and tossed him the flickering flashlight. "Don't go too far. You don't want the batteries to run out while you're down there," she said, turning the lighter one last time, bringing the tunnel alive with the glow of the flame. Reaching down, she brought the flame to the candle.

Kaoru turned the flashlight in his hand. "I won't be long." He turned and paced toward the gloomy darkness. The flashlight illuminated only a few feet ahead of him, so he squinted into the darkness, looking for danger.

The tunnel was dead silent. All Kaoru could hear was Haruhi's quiet rustling from behind him. The tracks glimmered menacingly when his flashlight turned on them. Kaoru felt a bit uneasy about sleeping on the tracks. It went against his instincts completely but what choice did they have? They had to be somewhere in the middle of two ports by now.

Suddenly a shrill ring burst through the tunnel. Kaoru jumped with a yelp, dropping the flashlight onto the concrete with a sharp clang. He froze in place, breathing hard. What the hell was that? He stared at the flickering light blankly. Oh. That was his text message tone.

"Kaoru?" Haruhi's voice called unsurely.

"It's okay. I'm okay," Kaoru whispered in her direction of the tunnel. Quickly he grabbed his dying phone from his pocket. The energy bar was blinking red, dangerously low. He flipped it open to see a text message from Hikaru.

**Kaoru you need to find shelter now! It's not safe. They are planning to—.**

Kaoru didn't have time to read the rest because the phone began powering off. "Dammit!" he growled in frustration. He braced his arm to chuck the phone at the wall but instead, he held himself still. It was possible that he could still use the cell in the future. So he dropped the phone dejectedly into his pocket. Sighing, he reached down and grabbed the faint light.

"Kaoru?" Haruhi called again from the dim candle in the distance.

"It was just my phone," Kaoru called back. "It died. I'm going ahead now." He turned and trudged into the darkness. He walked until he came to a slow bend in the tunnel. Hesitating, Kaoru came to a halt and listened for any sign of movement. Nothing.

Slowly, Kaoru edged along the wall as it tilted to the left. But as he did so, the flashlight gave out, plunging him into complete darkness. Kaoru gripped the dead flashlight tightly as the fear grew in his chest. He hated the darkness and he should go back… but he had to know what was up ahead. He breathed roughly as he strained his ears.

There was a low echo of movement from ahead and Kaoru froze. If it was an animal, Kaoru would be okay. If not, he was screwed. He didn't have any weapons. But somehow, he doubted it would be an animal. The whole city had been empty of animals that he had seen.

Kaoru gulped. "I'll just see what I'm up against," he whispered inaudibly to himself. He held the flashlight to his chest, ready to use it as a weapon if he needed to, and shuffled forward at a snail's pace. It was slow-going until finally Kaoru could hear the voices echoing off the walls and a distant light glimmered down the tracks. So they weren't the only ones that thought of going into the subway. He had to go warn Haruhi.

He turned to go back the way he had come when something cold was pressed to his shoulder and a hand slapped over his mouth from behind. "Where do you think you're going?" a deep voice growled.

Kaoru tensed before kicking back behind him at the man's legs. But it only made the man grip tighter and the gun pressed harder against his side. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Kaoru went still. "That's better," the man said. But Kaoru suddenly flung his body away from him, ripping out of the man's grasp. He maneuvered around the man, and ran at him at full force, knocking the man against the wall in the darkness. The man grunted as he hit the wall. And then Kaoru ran, moving his feet precisely across the railroad tracks, trying not to trip.

"Get back here!" the man yelled roughly.

Kaoru's veins flared in adrenaline as he raced further away. He could do this; he could get away.

But the gun went off behind him.

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><p><strong>Yes, this chapter is late. That is because of Finals Week and moving. And yes, this chapter is short. That is because I just found out my brother has appendicitis. So... you get the idea. Thanks for understanding!<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Yay! Another chapter! And guess what? After this chapter, I will be up to 100 reviews! Woot woot! I feel so accomplished. Well, now I'm off to watch Big Bang Theory or perhaps Dexter... please review so that I have something to look at later. :D**

* * *

><p>Kaoru flinched away at the sharp sound of the gun and the bullet whizzed somewhere nearby but Kaoru ran blindly faster, dropping the forgotten flashlight onto the tracks with a clank. His harsh breaths were loud to Kaoru's ears and the footsteps behind him were deafening. Kaoru raced along the gently curving tunnel until finally he saw Haruhi's candle up ahead.<p>

Another gunshot erupted in the tunnel, ricocheting off the wall somewhere behind Kaoru. "Haruhi, run!" Kaoru screamed down to the shadowy figure. "Run!"

"Kaoru?" She called back, jumping to her feet.

"RUN!" Kaoru cried, stumbling against the tracks. He slammed to his knees just as her figure took off in the opposite direction. Kaoru silently willed her on as he pushed himself from his knees. But the man had caught up and a bullet exploded through the passageway; this time it didn't miss.

The bullet lodged itself deep into Kaoru's right leg, causing it to give out right beneath him. Kaoru fell to into the ground face first with a pained gasp, smacking his skull against the hard concrete. His leg was burning, on fire. Kaoru bit back a scream as he curled into himself; his head throbbed, pulsing and aching. Tears stung at his bleary eyes.

"Gotcha," the man chortled victoriously. Kaoru didn't even notice his approach, but suddenly his hands were being lifted away from their clutches on his leg. He opened his eyes to see them stained with crimson blood that matched the bloody patch on his torn jeans. Blinking rapidly, Kaoru tried to stay aware of his surroundings.

The man grasped Kaoru by the armpits and heaved him backward; painfully grating Kaoru's wounded leg across the rough concrete. Kaoru cry of anguish was animalistic. This was the worst pain he had been in his whole life.

"What happened here?" A voice cried from somewhere behind Kaoru and he was dropped carelessly against the pavement. "Who is that?"

"Help me with him, will ya?" the first commanded above Kaoru. "Or go check out what's with the light down there."

"Okay," the second replied.

Slowly, the first man began dragging Kaoru down the long expanse of the tunnel. It was torture feeling his wound scrape against the stone. His whole leg was wet with blood. Kaoru wanted to pass out, he did, but his mind wouldn't let him. Instead, Kaoru felt every inch.

By the time the man dropped to the ground by a small fire, Kaoru was panting breathlessly between clenched teeth. He groaned and rolled so that his weight was off the throbbing injury.

"You shot another one?" a third voice questioned beyond the heated, flickering light.

"Yeah, well, you can never be too careful. All of the last ones had the Red Plague and I will bet you anything that this kid is just the same."

"He doesn't look like he has it," the third countered.

There was silence after that. Kaoru didn't know how long he stared emptily and numbly at the swirling fire, but it was long after when the second man returned. "I found one backpack full of supplies. The boy's companion took off and she's long gone."

"You hear that?" the first man laughed, nudging Kaoru with his steel-toed shoe. "Your girlfriend up and abandoned you."

"Leave him alone," the third said sternly, pushing the first man aside. Suddenly he squatted down by the limp red-head, staring questionably into Kaoru's amber gaze. Kaoru didn't move. "Can you hear me, son?" the man asked.

Kaoru's eyes flitted to the man's face. His eyes brows were knitted in worry and his head was tilted to the side. He looked kind enough, so Kaoru nodded, rubbing his check against the ground.

"Good, good. What is your name?"

"Kaoru," he barely whispered.

But it didn't seem to matter because the man swept quickly onto his next question, "Do you have the Red Plague?"

Kaoru shook his head. "No… I'm immune."

"Did he just say what I think he said?" the third questioned the others.

"How is he still alive?" the second wondered aloud.

"Let's stitch him up," the third said suddenly, moving quickly to Kaoru's side. Kaoru flinched away but the man yanked on his leg nonetheless. "I'm flipping you over kid to get a look at that wound," he stated, roughly flipping Kaoru onto his stomach. A whimpering gasp escaped Kaoru's lips. "Grab me the tweezers."

Suddenly a cold metal was being shoved into Kaoru's wounded leg. He screeched as it prodded against his raw skin, burning him from the inside out. Hands were suddenly pressed on his shoulders and legs, keeping him from thrashing. Tears poured from the young Hitachiin's face.  
>"Alright the bullet is out," one of them said above Kaoru's crying. "Now comes the worst part."<p>

At those words, Kaoru began to thrash harder against the arms. They were going to stitch him up here and now? With no anesthesia? A cold liquid trickled onto Kaoru's bleeding wound and Kaoru cried out, mumbling Hikaru's name as his mind pierced in a white hot heat.

The stitches were horrifying. Kaoru felt every stab into his sensitive skin with the bloody needle. He endured his leg being pulled back together, piece by piece. It was pure torture. And when it was over, the pain dulled but it did not disappear. Kaoru's mind swam in agony.

But just as the men pulled away from their handy work, the distant wailing of the sirens started up from above ground. The three men glanced around warily. "What does that mean?" the first questioned.

"We should go see," the second reasoned. "It could be help."

They jumped to their feet, stepping around the red-head on the subway floor. "What are we going to do about the kid?" the third asked.

"Leave him," the first replied. "Someone else will find him."

_Yeah, they'll find me… and kill me, _ Kaoru thought.

"Grab his backpack, we may need it," the first continued. And soon they were gone.

They had left in such a hurry. Kaoru stared blankly at the dwindling fire as the siren blazed on in the distance. _Why did they bother stitching me up if they were just going to leave like that? They left me for dead._


	13. Chapter 13

Haruhi crouched low behind the bushes in the low light of the rising sun. She breathed hard and fast into her hands as she squinted at the darkened subway port she had just escaped from. Kaoru had to be okay. He had to. Any moment now he would stagger up those chipped steps, telling her what needed to be done next.

On the other hand, if he didn't come out… her stomach dropped and she gulped fearfully. Being alone out here and the thought of Kaoru dying in the tracks was not a pretty thought. Her eyes stung and warmed.

She sat there in her hiding spot for what seemed like forever, but she knew it had only been minutes that ticked by. The sun was just visible over the buildings that towered around her. Haruhi almost expected the birds to begin to sing. They didn't.

Suddenly Haruhi was startled by loud sirens tearing the air with their high-pitched squealing. Slapping her hands to her ears, she crouched further into the bushes, terrified. What was going on? Why would they play the alarms meant for evacuation?

Footsteps sounded from somewhere further down the sidewalk, walking hurriedly in her direction. Haruhi curled her hands away from her head and strained to hear the voices above the sirens.

"The orders were to take out all infected on sight. All citizens outside of the Sanctuaries are assumed to be under the Red Plague. Under no circumstances are you to hesitate in firing the poison, understood?" a voice called loudly. Haruhi moved her head upwards over the bush, glancing at the group coming farther up the walk.

"Understood," five men replied automatically. Haruhi gasped, looking at them. They had to be from government. But were they really going to wipe out anyone outside? The six men wore bright yellow suits, covering every inch of their bodies, and they held guns at the ready. They meant business.

Haruhi ducked back down before they could see her and covered her breathing with her hands once again. Not good. She had to get back to Kaoru before they did anything to him… but the men were heading in the exact direction of the subway.

"Hey!" a voice cried, startling Haruhi. She stared heavily through the branches to see three men emerge from the subway. Her breathing caught; they were the same ones that had attacked Kaoru earlier. The yellow suits turned in the newcomers' direction. "Hey are you here to help us?" one of the men asked the yellow suits.

The tallest of the yellow suits turned to the others. "This will be a practice run for you men, first extermination of the day. Get to it."

A yellow suit brushed by Haruhi's bush and approached the men, clicking his safety lock off subtly. Haruhi shook with fear. Whatever the yellow suits were going to do here wasn't good. So she backed away quietly; her eyes darted from person to person until she turned and ran silently to the brick wall closest to the road. She paused and looked back, checking for anyone watching. They weren't; the two groups were focused entirely on each other and their voices floated indistinguishably to Haruhi's ears.

She turned back to the wall, gaging its height against her own. Supposing she could reach it, Haruhi jumped and grabbed ahold to the top of the wall. Free of the weight of her abandoned backpack, she hoisted herself up to the top with wobbly arms. Haruhi swung a leg up and stopped sitting on the wall.

A loud, echoing gunshot turned Haruhi's attention back to the group in an instant. The yellow suits were gathered around the three men. One suit held a smoking gun and a small black ball bounced its way to them men's feet. The instant it rolled to a stop, a thick yellow vaporous cloud erupted from it, rising quickly and spreading fast. Haruhi watched in horror as the three men instantly began coughing, clutching at their throats. One dropped lifelessly onto the pavement, his eyes staring hollowly into the sky. Haruhi didn't spare another second; she swung over to the other side of the wall.

Sometime later—maybe an hour or two, Haruhi wasn't exactly sure—she watched the yellow vapor disappear. The poison had lingered long after the three men had died and the suits had moved on. She had watched carefully from the roof of a neighboring office building, waiting for a chance to approach the subway. It had taken longer than she had expected.

Now she walked cautiously toward the bodies in the street. She sucked in a deep breath and held it as she bolted by, not taking any chances. Haruhi stumbled uneasily down the concrete steps, away from the fresh morning light into the gathering darkness. She wouldn't forgive herself if Kaoru was dead.

The sudden darkness was unsettling. She didn't have a flashlight this time. Arriving at the turnstiles, she hopped neatly over, just as before and continued to the tracks. She jumped in without hesitation, eager to get back to Kaoru. Haruhi landed hard, wracking her ankles with small prickling pain. Rubbing them once, she stood and rushed down the subway towards the last place she had seen him.

It was a long trek, and she stumbled a few times, but she made it to the dull embers of their fire. She stared at the empty concrete around it; her pack was gone. Sighing once, she continued down the subway until she reached a second dying fire. Glancing around, she saw no one and nothing. Not a clue of who had been there… except for the bloody mess stained into the concrete.

Haruhi squatted down and ran her rough fingers against the dried blood before glancing into the never-ending darkness. "Oh Kaoru," she whispered to herself, "Where did you go?" Her words echoed.

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><p><strong>Shorter chapter and late update... I hate myself.<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

Hikaru walked slowly down the dim-lighted hallway with tense shoulders. He glanced over his shoulder to see the guard still watching with tightened eyes. Turning back, Hikaru flexed his fingers and walked a little faster, staring down at the tan tiled floors. Around the corner, he came to a stop. By chance, there were no guards down this hallway.

He pressed his back to the wall and breathed deeply, closing his eyes. His nerves were out of control; he wasn't sure he could handle this… but it had to be done.

"Ready to go?" Tamaki's voice appeared, making Hikaru jump.

"Geez, Tamaki, don't do that to me," Hikaru said with a slight smile. Tamaki smiled but his eyes darted around the hallway; he was just as nervous as Hikaru. But at least they had each other, right?

Tamaki pulled out his cell phone, checking the time. "We have one minute until Kyoya starts and Honey and Mori create the distraction."

Hikaru nodded and peered around the corner, "Okay, as long this guy doesn't walk this way." The guard shifted from foot to foot. Hikaru turned back, brushing hair out of his face.

That minute flashed by too soon and suddenly the alarms were blaring through the halls. Hikaru and Tamaki watched the guard sprint off in the opposite direction. "Yes! That was a lot easier than I expected," Hikaru cried. "Let's go!" They launched into a run down the deserted hallway, past the sign that declared the area 'off limits to Civilians.'

Suddenly the hall plunged into complete black, blinding Hikaru and Tamaki from their route. The only light was from the occasional flash of the red alarm lights. "Dammit!" Hikaru screamed, pushing forward. Behind him, Tamaki grabbed onto the hood of his jacket.

"Where was the exit?" Tamaki hollered over the alarm, fear present in his tone.

Hikaru scrunched his nose in desperation as he curled his finger into fists as they swung side to side. He furrowed his brow and pictured the map. Estimating their location Hikaru replied, "Just a little bit further, then a left and two rights, and a straight-shot up the stairs." Hikaru's trembled slightly from being out of breath.

Tamaki did not reply, but Hikaru felt his fist grip tighter on the back of his sweatshirt. Hastily, Hikaru pushed forward. There was no time to lose.

They came to intersection and Hikaru instantly dove into the left hallway. Behind them, the faint hammering of boots rattled the halls. A fear grasped Hikaru, ripping his chest with breathless sickness. They were following already?

Tamaki pushed forward so that they ran side by side. In the red light, Tamaki's eyes were wide with adrenaline and sweat dripped from his forehead, making his blonde hair lie in clumps. "Just a little further," Tamaki choked out, gritting his teeth.

They turned at the first right with the men closer behind them. Their loud, threatening voices echoed down the hallway. What would happen to the two of them if they were caught? But the boys had no time to think about that as they skidded to a stop in front a sealed metal door. "I thought Kyoya was supposed to open this door?" Tamaki cried, his eyes wild.

Hikaru charged the door, pulling with all his might at the handle. Tamaki flew to his side, combining their strengths. But it was futile; the door was frozen in place. "Shit!" Hikaru cursed, kicking the door with his heavy boots. He wrapped his sweaty fingers into his hair with his heart beating fast. The voices and footsteps were loud in Hikaru's pounding ears. "Kyoya!" he growled, staring angrily around at the ceiling.

But suddenly the door flew open, and it only took a heartbeat for the boys to scurry through, picking up their earlier pace. Hikaru glanced over his shoulder and almost choked on his intake of air, seeing the angry faces of the guards turning the corner into their hallway. Thankfully, the door slammed shut before they could usher through. But it would only be a matter of time they unlocked it.

They flew around the second right turn, just in time to see the next locked door pull itself open. Hikaru silently thanked Kyoya and hoped his friend could hold out to open one last door. Hikaru's muscles burned as they raced into the smaller corridor towards the towering stairs. His breath caught as he mounted the first step; it was a long way up.

But the two pushed themselves, hurtling flight by flight. It felt like climbing a skyscraper. Hikaru lost count of how many turns in the steps they had taken.

They reached the last flight and the last door was in their sights. But it was not open. Down below, marching feet on the stairs overwhelmed the alarms. They were coming.

Hikaru reached the last step, flinging his body against the warm door. He could feel the sun beyond the metal; he could taste his freedom. He pressed his hand against the smooth surface, counting heartbeats. Tamaki shifted beside him. Their breathing intertwined heavily.

A small click startled them. Tamaki wrenched at the handle and they were rapidly blinded by the intense rays of the sun. It had been so long. The air felt fresh and was free of the mustiness. Hikaru swung a hand above his head, protecting his sensitive eyes. The two pushed through the door, vaguely aware of the rising voices behind them. Tamaki swiftly shut it behind them. An audible click proclaimed their safety. Hikaru smiled in relief; his eyes adjusted slowly as he squinted into their surroundings. The street was empty; the air was void of sound. Hikaru relished in the calming silence; it was a pleasing difference from the crowded halls of the Sanctuary.

Hikaru laughed shakily, exchanging a relieved look with Tamaki. They were out and free. They had pulled off the impossible. Hikaru mentally sent off an apology off to his parents. He was sorry, but he had to find his twin brother… even if it meant he was at risk of catching the Red Plague.

Beside him, Tamaki let out a deep breath. "Where to first?"

"Haruhi's house," Hikaru replied automatically. "It's the last place we've heard from them." There was a harsh banging on the door behind them, but they easily ignored it.

"Right," Tamaki said. He paused, his face in determination. "They're alive," he said to himself more than Hikaru.

"They're alive," Hikaru repeated.

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><p><strong>So I've I decided, since I'm so busy, that I'm going to turn my full attention on this story and put "Paper Cranes and Paper Hearts" on hold for a bit. I truly plan to continue it, hold me to my word. I just feel like I need to focus on this one as of now. So I think I will put out one more chapter of that one before I focus completely on this story. It's a good thing, I promise, because updates should come out faster then. Thanks for understanding! See you next time!<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

The apartment complex stood before them, quiet and ruined. An exchanged look with Tamaki revealed that they were both thinking the worst. Sunrays sparkled off of the broken windows and the glass scattered across the ground and down the scuffed stairs. The doors hung crookedly at their hinges and the locks were smashed aside. Chills ran down Hikaru's spine as he gaped at the brutal destruction in broad daylight. It felt so… wrong.

Hikaru took a step forward from their hiding place behind the worn, brown fence from across the street, gesturing with his fingers for Tamaki to follow. He picked his way through the debris-scattered road; it was covered in empty cans, bags, and items that could only be from the ravaged apartments. Someone had looted the area. It was obvious and Hikaru expected it, but he never thought it could be this bad.

Beside him, Tamaki leaned down into the stack of trash stacked near an abandoned van with his lip quivering. Hikaru strode over to him. "What is it?" he asked as Tamaki pulled straight, holding a frame in his hand.

Wordlessly, Tamaki turned the picture to Hikaru. The cracked glass held a small picture of Haruhi and her dad, smiling brightly. It felt so unnatural in this changed world. Tamaki forced open the back of the frame, slipping out the photo, and dropped the empty object with a clack. "She'll want this back," Tamaki whispered.

Worry fluttered in Hikaru's chest as he turned his eyes back at the apartments. "We should check inside," Hikaru said. He began to walk with new purpose. His pulse raced in his veins. With no hesitation, Hikaru stomped up the stairs to the second floor, only pausing when he came upon a body lying in the hallway at the top.

He glanced behind him to see Tamaki turn completely white, blanching at the stench. "Don't look at it," Hikaru told him quickly, stepping over the lump while his stomach churned. Tamaki looked absolutely terrified.

A second later, they arrived at Haruhi's apartment. Tamaki reached for the knob but stopped, seeing that the knob was completely missing. So he instead pushed lightly at the door. It creaked open into the dark room. Hikaru gasped. The inside was just as horrible as the outside but smelled twice as much. It was the lingering aroma of death.

"Oh, no," Tamaki breathed, taking it all in, holding a hand over his nose.

Hikaru squared his shoulder and pushed himself inside. He had to know what happened here. He had to find out if Kaoru had gotten away. He stepped across overturned lamps and scattered beads. It didn't even look like a room anymore. Tamaki made his way for Haruhi's room while Hikaru wordlessly headed for her father's room. The door was torn open at the ready.

The moment Hikaru reached the room, Hikaru knew. The smell was unbearable, causing Hikaru to clutch his shirt to his nose. His eyes watered. At the entrance, Hikaru came to a halt. The window was wide open and its curtains fluttered carelessly. Just below that was Mr. Fujioka, lifeless and bloody, rotting and fly-covered. Hikaru averted his eyes, horrified.

But Hikaru's eyes settled on the dresser. A lone white sheet of paper fluttered in the light wind, sticking out from the bottom of the lamp. Holding his breath and training his eyes in front of him, Hikaru quickly crossed the room and ripped the paper from the bottom of the lamp. Unfolding it, Hikaru read the words, "Heading north with Haruhi." The message was simple, but it gave them the clue they needed.

"Oh god," Tamaki groaned from behind Hikaru.

Hikaru spun on his heels to find a pale Tamaki with eyes brimming with tears. Tamaki had his hand grasped over his mouth and nose, staring intently at the body. "Tamaki…" Hikaru said softly.

Tamaki shook his head, backing out of the door. "I need to get out of here." He disappeared from the room.

Hikaru cast one last glance at the body before following Tamaki. He found his friend staring blankly at a family photo on the wall near the kitchen. Silent tears rolled down his smooth cheeks, dripping onto the floor. Hikaru placed a comforting hand on his arm, but got no reaction. So they stood in silence, allowing it all to sink in.

"Hikaru," Tamaki whispered softly.

"Yeah?"

"Are they okay?"

Hikaru breathed deeply, frowning. "They better be…" he let his words hang there, not knowing what else to say.

"How are we going to find them? I mean there's so many places to look," Tamaki asked, his voice tinged with worry.

Hikaru scooped the scrap of paper from his palm, unfolded it and held it up for Tamaki to see. But the words only made Tamaki's frown tighten. "Why would they head north? That leads out of Ouran. Why wouldn't they go towards the middle where they can easily get supplies?"

Hikaru refolded the slip. "Think about it Tamaki. If there are looters, the infected, and government officials aiming to kill you just running around, where would you go? Wouldn't you head away from the worse of it?"

"Oh," Tamaki nodded. "But it will still be difficult to find them."

"Yeah, well, we have to try, don't we? Come on, let's go," Hikaru reasoned, leading the way out of the trashed apartment and into the fading daylight. They turned onto the stairs. "Okay, we should brainstorm. Where in northern Ouran would be a good place to look first?"

"Umm… there's the public elementary school, the subway stations, the…" Tamaki trailed off, pausing at the bottom step.

Hikaru stopped with him, following Tamaki's gaze. There was a group of three people walking down the street in the distance, wearing bright yellow suits. It looked alien almost but it also fit this ruined world. "What are they?" Tamaki questioned.

Opening his mouth to speak, Hikaru was suddenly tugged roughly backwards with Tamaki behind a shadowed wall by the stairs. A hand wrapped around both of their mouths, gripping tight. "Don't move," a voice commanded.

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><p><strong>Well guys, this time I can promise you 100% that there will be another update on Tuesday. Look forward to it! <strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**Yay! Another chapter up so fast! Hope you enjoy, it's about to get intense.**

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><p>Kaoru's vision was blurry and his body wouldn't cooperate, but he was still aware of everything. His eyes were staring blankly into the bright light overhead. He begged his eyes to move away, the light hurt, but they refused to comply. So he was left to suffer mutely, listening to something shuffling somewhere nearby and a metal clinking and lowered voices.<p>

Kaoru was unsure to how he got into this mess. He strained his memory. Let's see, what was the last thing he was doing? Hmmm… oh! He was laying on the subway tracks. He remembered the blood and the pain, the blistering pain. His stitches had throbbed until he couldn't take it anymore. Maybe that's when he passed out… he didn't know for sure.

All he knew is that his body was now blissfully numb, free of the heated pain. Kaoru blinked groggily, and suddenly he could hear the voices a bit clearer. "So just one injection?" a woman's voice questioned.

"Yes," a man replied. "If he's immune… then he won't die. If he only reacts badly to the disease, he will be much like our other subjects. If nothing happens at all… Well, then we finally will have a blood sample to test against subject number one."

Kaoru was startled. What about an injection? Were they, whoever 'they' are, going to give him the Red Plague? A low whimper escaped Kaoru's lips.

Suddenly a soft, womanly face appeared in front of the blinding light. "No, honey, it's okay," she soothed. Her face was drawn into a concerned frown and she brushed her blonde wavy locks behind her ears. She placed a light hand on his shoulder. Kaoru could barely feel it.

"Stop ogling the subject and move aside. I want to start this immediately," the man muttered, pushing her away. With a loud clink of metal, the man appeared in his view with a long, thick needle in his right hand. "Hello," he greeted with a hideous smile. "I am your doctor. You've already met the nurse." His smiled widened as he leaned closer with the needle. "Don't worry, this won't hurt too much."

No, no, no! Suddenly Kaoru was moving, thrashing side to side, and squeezing his eyes gruffly shut. He groaned just as the needle pierced his skin, sending a jolt down his spine. And suddenly the warm liquid was spreading through his veins.

The pain was unbearable, the virus stung his arteries. His body heated instantly. "His temperature is spiking," the nurse stated over Kaoru's loud grunts. Kaoru's chest pounded. "Heart rate increasing," she called, panicking. "He's reacting badly!"

Kaoru's brain felt like it was going to explode. He cried out as his whole body convulsed, staining against his bindings. "No," the doctor replied with interest, "this is like nothing we've seen before."

Kaoru began coughing roughly from deep in his chest. It hurt so, so bad. Tears streamed from his eyes. Oh, someone make it stop! He whipped from side to side. Oh god, oh god. He was going to die.

"His heart rate and temperature are far above maximum!" the nurse cried.

The pain intensified. There was a ringing in Kaoru's ears. He was blinded by white light beneath his eyelids. And suddenly, it ceased.

Kaoru was floating in pitch black space. The world was empty but it was wonderfully free and painless. He welcomed the darkness… but suddenly it was fading, being sucked back into his body. Kaoru shied away from the stinging of limbs, but he couldn't fight it.

He was sucked back in with full force. The pain wasn't as strong as before, but he was still left twitching in his restraints.

"Dear God," the nurse whispered pitifully from somewhere in the room. Kaoru couldn't pinpoint her location; he was still focusing on the faltering pain.

"Amazing," the doctor exclaimed. But Kaoru didn't understand what was so amazing. He had almost died… "Amazing," the doctor repeated. "Quickly, grab the syringe. I need a blood sample." There was quick movement and Kaoru gasped when cold metal pierced his skin a second time. Only this time, it was to take away from his body.

Kaoru pried his eyes open just in time to see the blood filled tube being pulled away from his arm while the doctor held it up in awe. "This is so much more than I expected," the doctor gushed breathlessly. "I never even imagined this sort of thing even existed." The doctor shoved the vial at the woman who stood at his shoulder. "Take this down to the lab immediately to have it tested." The woman took it and hurried away wordlessly.

The doctor turned on Kaoru, smiling wildly. But Kaoru couldn't concentrate on him because he was drenched in sweat with the taste of blood ripe in his mouth. Something damp trickled from his ears as he blinked lethargically. His heart was still beating rapidly.

Kaoru flinched when the doctor's hand suddenly came down to wipe his sticky bangs from his forehead. He turned his head away from the lingering hand. "Amazing," the doctor whispered for a third time. Kaoru ground his teeth at the word. The hand trailed down Kaoru's jaw bone and rested at the base of his ear.

And slowly, the doctor removed his gloved hand. Kaoru gasped in shock at the sight of the doctor's fingertips. They were bloodied; However, the blood on his hand looked… almost watered down. If Kaoru's hands weren't restrained, he would have checked his ears himself for the mysterious blood. Instead he had to settle for the odd sensation of trickling blood in his ears. They felt full and plugged.

The doctor's dark gaze switched back onto Kaoru's face. "You are one special boy, you know that?"

Kaoru stared, not comprehending. So the doctor turned quickly and came back with a fresh needle full of a clear liquid. "This I hold in my hand," he explained, tapping the vial with his pointer finger, "is a needle full of the Red Plague. And we just injected you full of it…" The doctor trailed off as if he expected something but Kaoru only blinked slowly.

"This is enough to _kill _the average man while you," he gestured to the blood on his fingers, "you dispelled the disease completely from your body through your ears. Your body completely rejected it." A sly smile curled across his lips. "I have a lot planned for you, boy."


	17. Chapter 17

Hikaru struggled against the tight hold on his lips and Tamaki did the same beside him. But neither made a sound like they could sense that they would be in greater danger if they yelled out. "Stop," the voice hissed in their ears as the hand loosened on their faces.

Instantly faltering in his struggles, Hikaru spun around to face his attacker with a glare ready on his features and his muscles tensed. But he froze, staring at the newcomer curiously. It was only a kid, with shaggy black hair and torn clothes smeared with dirt. He looked about their age. Hikaru tilted his head in confusion and exchanged a look with Tamaki.

But the kid reached out a hand to them with worry written on his face. His eyes darted from side to side as he braced himself against the side of the apartment complex, ready to run. "Come on, we have to go, before they find us," he said pleadingly, desperation in his eyes.

He gave them one last fleeting look of sadness before withdrawing his hand and running off. Hikaru didn't waste any time. He cast one last glance at the mysterious yellow figures in the street before sprinting off into the alley to follow the kid. They ran fast and stayed off the streets, and by the time, they slowed to a stop in front of a chain-linked fence, Hikaru was wheezing for air.

Tamaki leaned heavily on Hikaru, trying to catch his breath. "Oh god," Tamaki panted. "I really need to work out."

Hikaru didn't reply; he just narrowed his eyes at the boy pacing in front of the fence. "Who are you?" Hikaru demanded.

The kid stopped pacing, peering at Hikaru through his heavy black bangs. "Haruka," he said simply, turning back to the fence. He reached forward and intertwined his fingers into the links, bracing.

"That doesn't help me one bit," Hikaru said flatly.

Haruka dropped his hands and turned back with a glare. "Look, I'm just a kid who saved your ass from extermination."

Tamaki paled. "Wait, so those guys in yellow…" he trailed off.

"How do you know all of this?" Hikaru asked, placing a steadying hand on Tamaki's shoulder.

Haruka sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Just trust me on this, will ya?"

"How do you know?" Hikaru repeated darkly.

Haruka looked away, frowning. "Fine. My father is in committee that organized the sanctuaries, okay?" He turned his face back at Hikaru, his eyes watering. "And… he abandoned me. He left me out here to die, just because I was different. The doctors told me I was immune… but my father didn't believe that. He thought that the disease was just waiting under my skin. So he threw me away."

Hikaru's eyes widened. "You're immune?" He glanced at Tamaki. "I thought Kaoru was the only one."

Haruka perked up. "You know someone else that's immune… that's still alive?"

Hikaru nodded. "Yeah, my twin brother. We're looking for him right now… what did you mean, 'still alive'?"

"Well usually they snatch up the immunes from the hospitals and take them into rigorous testing. Many have died… It's the one thing my father protected me from." Haruka turned and pushed himself halfway the fence.

Hikaru shrugged, "Well, they didn't take him. We're heading north. That's where he was heading."

Freezing halfway over the fence, Haruka looked down at Hikaru. "He headed north?" The boy's voice went up an octave with the look of horror on his face.

Hikaru was at a loss for words, but Tamaki nodded. "That's what we were told," Tamaki said.

"That's suicide," Haruka sputtered. "That's where all of the testing facilities are set up. He has no chance."

The color drained out of Hikaru's face. "We have to find him," he whispered. His gaze snapped to Tamaki. "We need to go, now!"

Quickly, the two jumped up onto the chain-linked fence, swinging over after Haruka, and they took off running. "Are you coming with us?" Hikaru questioned as Haruka pulled in front of them, leading the way.

"Someone's got to show you the way," Haruka panted between breaths.

The sun lowered in the sky, casting Ouran into silent darkness. The streets were empty and the wind was the only thing that stirred the world. It was strange, running through these unfamiliar streets with only the sound of their breathing and footsteps to accompany them. And soon, it was hard to see. They slowed to a walk. "We still have a long ways to go," Haruka huffed, staring into the darkness.

"What's that?" Tamaki asked, pointing to a faint light far down the street they stopped on.

"Probably a solar-powered light post. There are a lot of those around the subways and stuff," Haruka explained quietly.

Hikaru turned and looked around at the darkened housing. "Should we find a place to stop for the night? I really don't want to stop, but we need to rest." Tamaki nodded his agreement, his eyes heavy.

"Well, we could-" Haruka began, glancing over his shoulder from a sudden but faint noise.

The three froze, barely breathing, straining their ears for the noise. But this time, they heard a voice. "Tamaki," the voice called out. The boys turned to find a figure jogging down the alleyway towards them.

Instantly, Tamaki bolted from their group and folded the figure into his arms, laughing hysterically. Hikaru blinked before he realized who it was. Haruhi. The girl was sobbing into Tamaki's brood shoulder. "I can't believe you're out here," she sniffed.

Tamaki grasped her tighter. "You're safe now, you're safe."

"Where's Kaoru?" Hikaru's question broke through their reunion like a knife. The two plunged into silence with Tamaki staring at Haruhi while she stared sorrowfully at Hikaru.

"Kaoru…" she began. "We were jumped on the subway tracks by a group of men. Kaoru saved me. He told me to run. Kaoru was gone when I came back to look for them."

Hikaru rubbed at his eyes, fighting back the heated tears. "Tell me exactly what happened." And she did. It wasn't a pretty story. Hikaru could feel his stomach churning painfully with each word.

"He's probably in the testing facility," Haruka spoke up after a short silence. The group didn't reply. They all knew, deep down, that it was probably true.

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><p><strong>Hey everyone! Enjoy the chapter?<strong>


	18. Chapter 18

Kaoru trembled shallowly as he was drug down the hall by his underarms. He had no strength to fight, to struggle. They had pumped his veins full of sedative, which, apparently, his body didn't reject. He felt heavy; it felt a bit like he was floating. But the pain of being held by his arms told otherwise.

He lazily glanced at the gray walls. Vaguely, he wondered what would happen to him. Well, he had a pretty good answer to that question: they would mess with his blood. But the mystery of how and the length of time nagged at his mind.

"Alright, here we go," the doctor's assistant mumbled as he buzzed into a locked hall, and dragged him into the first cell directly on the right. The man heaved Kaoru carelessly onto the small, dirty cot. Kaoru's limbs dropped precariously onto the sheets. And before Kaoru could even register, the man was gone, and he was left alone in the tight cell. The clang of the closing doors echoed emptily.

Kaoru spent the first minutes—or hours, he couldn't tell—staring at the white ceiling. The way the cracks wound across the top of his cell fascinated his drugged mind. It wasn't until later that he noticed the other noises in the hall. Sometimes it was a whimpering, a shuffling, or a low whisper. Kaoru sat feebly up on his cot, rubbing warmth into his arms. It was cold and a cloud of dizzying black veiled his vision as he steadied himself upright. He huffed out a breath before leaning to stand. And when he finally pushed himself upwards, his knee almost gave out from the pressure to the wound on his leg. Kaoru hissed, squeezing his eyes shut, and leaned heavily on the concrete wall.

"You okay in there?" a soft voice floated from outside his door. Kaoru froze for a second, listening, but the soft voice didn't come a second time.

Limping horribly, Kaoru forced his way over to the cell door and peered through the thick bars. "Hello?" His voice was raspy.

A girl with deep green eyes popped up from the opposite cell. Her dark black hair wisped over her shoulders and her bangs settled right above her eyes. She could have been beautiful, but her eyes were heavy and ringed with fatigue. Her skin was paled and she had a row of bandages down her left arm. The scrubs she wore were sickly lavender.

"Are you okay?" she murmured tilting her head at him.

Kaoru nodded. "Yeah… Where are we?"

"A testing facility," she said. "So, you're completely fine? No after affects?"

Kaoru cast a strange look at her before he remembered. He raised a hand to his ear and felt the drying blood. He spoke without looking up, staring at the crusted blood on his fingers, "No, I didn't. The doctor said my body completely dispelled the Red Plague through my ears." He glanced up, catching her look of awe.

"That's insane," she whispered. "My blood just ignores the disease until it just disappears. But I think we are the only ones that can get rid of it completely." Her eyes darted to the other cells down the hall. "A lot of these cells are empty because the doctor tested on the normal, the ones who are not immune. And other cells that are occupied," she glanced back over to Kaoru, "well, they react to it. Their body starts to take symptoms of the Red Plague. It takes them longer for their bodies to stop it… They're constantly in pain." Her eyes were filled with sadness as she wrapped her arms around her small arms.

"It's cold, isn't it?" Kaoru asked, not knowing what to say. The cold was stinging his healing wounds.

She nodded. "So… did you want to exchange names or subject numbers?" she asked suddenly, placing a hand on the bar.

"Huh?"

"Well, I'm Subject 1. And you seem to be Subject 83. So nice to meet you 83," she said pointing at the name plate on the cell door.

Kaoru didn't say a word; he only stared in horror. How many have died, have been sacrificed before him? Would he survive this place?

Subject 1 sighed, "Oh, honey, you feeling alright? How old are you?"

"Fifteen," Kaoru responded automatically, raising his eyes from her name plate.

"Oh, honey," she replied with genuine sorrow. "That's the youngest I've ever seen in here."

"How old are you?" he asked, now curious.

"Twenty-two... Subject 83, don't you worry. I'll protect you wherever I can," she said softly.

Kaoru turned his head away, somehow doubting her kind words. It felt as if the world was crashing down around him. His only comfort was that his family was safe… But as for Haruhi... Kaoru felt sick and suddenly a rough round of coughs filled his lungs. He doubled over, almost collapsing on his injured leg, as the painful coughs continued.

When the coughing faltered, Kaoru whimpered at the remaining tickle in his throat. Tears were already streaming from his eyes. "I thought my cold was gone," he moaned as he slid down the bars so that he was sitting on the cold floor.

"Oh, no, that's not a cold," Subject 1 said. Kaoru glanced over his shoulder at her. She was crouched at the bottom of her cell so that she could see him better. "Every time our bodies are, or have fought a major infection, we end up with a bad cough. It doesn't last long though."

"But my cold lasted a week before the Lock-down."

Her green eyes widened. "Then the Red Plague must have really wanted your body. Were there lots of infected around you?"

Kaoru shook his head, feeling the rising panic. "No, everyone was completely fine."

"Well, they were at least in danger of being infected," she said seriously. "Did you bleed from your ears then?"

"No, not once. This is the first time."

She let out a slow breath, "Then it couldn't have been bad."

A sudden clinking at locked door at their left caused the two to freeze. "Quick, get back further into your cell. They don't like us talking," Subject 1 hissed before retreating into her darkened cell. Kaoru pushed himself against the closest wall, across from the cot, careful not to brush his wound. He leaned his head back against the wall just as the nurse from earlier appeared through the door. She stopped directly in front of Kaoru's cell.

"Oh good, you're awake." Kaoru looked up at her and immediately paled. The wretched woman was holding a case of syringes, empty syringes. Kaoru scooted away involuntarily at the sight of her. "Don't be scared," the nurse crooned as she unlocked the door. "It won't be so bad. I also brought you dinner," she said, waving the tray of food he hadn't noticed earlier. Kaoru's stomach scrunched; he hadn't noticed how hungry he really was.

The woman entered the cell and closed the door behind her. She set the tray down beside Kaoru and he immediately dug in, tearing into the turkey sandwich. Within his hunger, Kaoru barely felt it as the nurse took vial after vial of blood. And, when the nurse finally finished off the sixth vial of blood, she pulled away, leaving Kaoru feeling heavy and weak. "Sweet Dreams, 83," she said softly, running her fingers through his soft orange hair. Kaoru nodded off into a fitful sleep.

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><p><strong>OMG I had so much fun writing this chapter. I hoped you enjoyed it! Because I loooooove it. <strong>


	19. Chapter 19

**Okay, I wasn't so sure about this chapter when I wrote it, but I think you will be surprised. If you liked Subject 1 before... haha. Just read the chapter.**

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><p>Kaoru had thought he liked Subject 1 that night before… but the next day, when he woke, he wasn't so sure anymore. She was different and he didn't know why.<p>

"This is place is horrible," her soft voice whined as soon as Kaoru opened his eyes after sleeping on the floor. He lifted his head off the floor to look at her but she wasn't looking at him. She muttered to herself as she stared at the wall. "I want to go home. I hate this place…"

"Are you okay?" Kaoru called over to her, scooting up to the cell door.

Her head snapped in his direction with a smooth glare. "Oh look, the favorite boy has awakened."

Kaoru scrunched his brows and bit his lip. What was she talking about?

"They should let me go free if they have you to test on, don't you think? Your blood is more valuable anyway." She chuckled lightly to herself. "But that would be the day, wouldn't it?"

"What's wrong?" Kaoru asked, spooked by her sudden downturn in spirit.

"What's wrong?" Subject 1 repeated with a chuckle. "Everything is my problem. This place. You." She turned icy stare on him with cruel malice. "I hope they kill you."

Her words jolted up Kaoru's spine. Never before had Kaoru heard those words uttered so forcefully. He curled into himself, huddling into the corner by the door.

"Yup," she continued as she copied Kaoru's position, "I hope they take one syringe too many of your blood. Or maybe they'll get curious and decide to look inside of you. They could carve into your skin and pull out your heart," she laughed in a way that chilled Kaoru's spine.

Kaoru's stomach churned. "Stop it. Why are you saying this?"

The girl shrugged, not looking at him. "I'm bored so I pass the time. It's always nice to see the new ones squirm."

"Yesterday you were so nice," Kaoru whispered, feeling pathetic. He was stronger than this; he didn't have to care about the girl that had once been nice to him. But he did. He needed someone to talk to.

"Yesterday?" The girl laughed manically just as the hall door was buzzed open. "I've never met you in my life." Subject 1 glanced up at the figure entering the door and smiled. "Hello, nurse." Turning her eyes back on Kaoru, Subject 1 began chant in a sing-song voice, "You are going to die! You are going to die! They will drain all of your blood. They will drain all of your blood."

Kaoru's panicked eyes darted from Subject 1 to the nurse who went down the hall with a cart full of food trays. She slipped one under Subject 1's cell before turning Kaoru. "Don't worry 83, Subject 1 has multiple personalities. She should be back to normal in hour or two. Her mean side only comes out to play every once and a while." The tray scraped noisily under barred door.

Kaoru didn't reply to the nurse, so she moved on in silence to the other subjects, the ones Kaoru couldn't see. Instead, Kaoru watched Subject 1 curiously. She was staring at the food suspiciously, as if it were poisoned. Her deep green eyes darted up to watch the nurse strolling further out of view. "I bet this food is poisoned!" She hollered, gripping the bars tightly in her fingers. "I bet we will all be dead within an hour!"

"Shut up, One!" a boy yelled back.

"Prove me wrong, 49, then I'll shut up," she replied.

"We have the same damn meal every day. Now eat your sandwich," Subject 49 said in an irritated voice. And Kaoru was surprised to see Subject 1 do as she was told. She picked up her turkey sandwich hesitantly. Kaoru bit into his green apple just as she took a single bite into the bread, but then she froze.

The sandwich in her hands was still in her mouth, but she didn't finish the bite. She just stared blankly ahead. Kaoru paused in his chewing just as she blinked slowly. "Uh, One?" Kaoru said tentatively.

She whipped her head in his direction, ripped the sandwich from her mouth, and gasped loudly for air. "Oh, god," she moaned. "Did I do it again? Did I become _her_?"

Kaoru's simple nod sent the girl spiraling in tears. They streamed from her face. "What horrible things did I say, 83?"

Kaoru looked away, feeling extremely uncomfortable, "You didn't say anything."

She shot him a hurt look before turning away in a sobbing mess. "I know I did… Sorry for whatever I said…"

Kaoru was completely bewildered. "It's okay, you can't control it."

"Glad to see you're back to yourself," the nurse smiled at Subject 1 as she rolled the cart back to the door. "Oh and 83, we just need to take a few more vials of your blood," she said, glancing over at Kaoru.

"More?" Kaoru squeaked, dropping his half-eaten apple back onto the full tray.

"Oh, it won't leave you as weak as yesterday. I just need two more vials." She went to unlock the door and swung it open with a creak. Kaoru kept still, just wanting it to be over quickly. "Besides, we need your strength up for tonight." Kaoru's heart thudded at her words.

The woman knelt beside Kaoru with the first needle at the ready. She stuck him swiftly, making Kaoru only slightly flinch. The sensation of blood being taken from his body was something he thought he would never get used to. He hissed as the needle was removed. The second one was just the same, but Kaoru hardly flinched at that one. He wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Thank you, dear," the nurse cooed, running her fingers through his hair just like the night before as she covered the punctures with a green bandage. "Now you make sure you eat your food and drink all of this water." She set the canister of water in Kaoru's shaky hands before disappearing out the door.

A few minutes, after Kaoru was sure she was gone, Kaoru asked, "What do you think they have planned for me tonight?" He looked up from the water to Subject 1.

Her tears were dry and her face was full of concern for him. "I don't know. Sometimes they take me in to redistribute the Red Plague into my system, but I doubt they would do that so soon after yesterday…" She trailed off, leaning closer to the bars. "You'll be okay. They don't do anything torturous to us. They only test the Red Plague."

"That was torture enough," Kaoru mumbled. "But you're right, I can handle that. I'll be okay." But he didn't know if that was the truth. Yesterday… had been so painful.

He smiled weakly at her and she mirrored him. Alright, maybe this Subject 1 was okay.


	20. Chapter 20

**So I kinda realized that chapter 19 wasn't the greatest, but it had to be done, so I'm not taking it down or re-writing it. It had important information in it. This chapter, however, should make up for it. YAY! Tell me what you think, okay?**

* * *

><p>Hikaru stood on his tiptoes to see over the heads in front of him. Tamaki, Haruka, and Haruhi all leaned against the fence, completely silent as they watched through the small opening, hidden behind the bush.<p>

"Is he-?" Hikaru began.

But he was cut off by Haruka's harsh, "SShhh. We don't want him to notice us. You three aren't immune, remember?"

Hikaru shrugged and continued to watch the slow-moving elderly man, limping his way down the dirty street. He was merely ten feet away from them, so they held themselves still. The old man had wispy white hair on his balding head. His tired eyes were rimmed with broken glasses settled on his nose. And lesions covered his body. The old man coughed roughly into his loose-hanging shirt and blood spattered up onto his white and red checkered sleeve. Haruhi flinched away, averting her eyes.

"Can't we find another way around?" Tamaki hissed under his breath as he looked at the man in horror.

Hikaru shook his head. "This is the only road that we need to cross and it's the safest route anyways. Right Haruka?"

Haruka nodded. "Yes, just be quiet. I think I hear something else."

Hikaru glanced behind them, making sure no one was sneaking up from behind. The sun was gleaming in the horizon from where it was rising, casting a bright twinkling light they had stayed in the night before. They were lucky; really, to have found a house that hadn't been looted and still had clean beds and a stock of food. There hadn't even been any bodies lying around! That was always a plus.

Kneeling down, Hikaru pulled up the right leg of his jeans, revealing the knife wedged into his sock. He couldn't help checking to make sure it was still there. Hikaru glanced at the others, seeing the flash of metal beneath Haruhi's sweatpants as she shifted on her feet.

As Hikaru stood, Haruka began to speak, "Maybe I should just put him out of his misery." He fingered at the gun in his waistband, pulling it out slowly to not startle the other three.

Haruhi gasped, putting a hand in Haruka's wrist. "What are you saying? You can't shoot people!"

"The Red Plague makes you suffer for days! Can you imagine how much pain he's in right now?" Haruka hissed lowly.

Haruhi placed her hands on hips threateningly. "Do you even know how to shoot a gun?" she asked, furious.

Haruka looked away. "What else do you suggest? This guy has been pacing outside this fence for the last 15 minutes, just moaning to himself. Do you see him going away anytime soon?"

Haruhi just stared in disgust. "You still won't shoot him. You'd probably miss anyway."

Groaning, Haruka looked over Tamaki and Hikaru. "Have either of you ever shot a gun?"

Tamaki shook his head frantically but Hikaru stayed quiet, biting his lip. Suddenly everyone was staring at him. "What?" Hikaru asked defensively. "Kaoru and I have been hunting before. It's no big deal."

Haruka took a step forward, bringing the gun up for Hikaru. But Haruhi held him back, saying, "No way. There is no way you are going to make Hikaru shoot that old man. He's a human being!"

"He's a human being on the verge of dying. He's got to be in so much pain," Haruka argued back. He turned back to Hikaru and gestured for him to take the gun. "Think about it, Hikaru. The longer we have to wait here, the longer we hesitate, the closer Kaoru is to dying. Seriously, Kaoru is probably in as much pain as this old man. The difference is that you can save Kaoru. This old man… he's going to die either way. So take it. Take this gun. We need to save your brother and we're only wasting time." Haruka held the gun out farther.

The group watched in silence as Hikaru raised a shaking hand. Could he really do this? This wasn't really the same as shooting a soda can or deer… this was a human being. But Hikaru reached over and grasped the cold metal, feeling the terrifying power he held in his hands.

"You wouldn't…" Haruhi gasped, exasperated.

Hikaru looked at her brokenly. "My brother…" were his only words.

"Let's go," Haruka said softly, placing a comforting hand on Hikaru shoulder, leading him towards the opening in the fence. They brushed by Tamaki and Haruhi but Hikaru did not dare to look in their eyes. He didn't want to see the disappointment written there.

The two stumbled into the street behind the old man. Haruka gestured for the other to stay behind. "Hey, you!" Haruka hollered, practically making Hikaru jump out his skin.

The old man turned slowly, catching them with his wild eyes. "Help me," he wheezed, taking a step towards the two boys.

"Okay, here you go, Hikaru. Don't let him get too close or he could infect you and don't listen to his words. At any moment he could jump you and take a chunk out of your skin with his teeth," Haruka hissed, stepping back.

Hikaru glanced at his friends in bewilderment before raising the gun. His hands were shaking so he forced himself steady. He breathed, trying to think of the old man limping towards him as just another target practice. But as Hikaru stared over the barrel of his gun, he felt a pang of remorse. This man was just like him, wasn't he? He was just sick where Hikaru was not. Couldn't the four of them just run past him and leave him be? The old man certainly did not look fast enough to catch them.

Hikaru faltered and began to lower his gun, when suddenly the old man had abandoned his limp and was rushing Hikaru at full speed. Hikaru let out a strangled cry before re-raising his gun and squeezing his eyes shut. One! Two! Three bangs rang into the air. And when Hikaru opened his eyes, he found the gun shaking and smoking in his hands and dead man lying yards away from him. Three bullet wounds bled from the man's head. Hikaru was going to be sick.

Haruka let out a stuttering breath before patting Hikaru on the back. "You did well, Hikaru," he said shakily.

Hikaru dropped the gun numbly and dropped to his knees, hyperventilating. He'd shot someone. He's a murderer. "He was going to attack me," Hikaru whispered, trying to reassure his self. "I had to." Two pairs of arms wrapped around Hikaru. It was Tamaki and Haruhi. He leaned into their touch, seeking comfort.

"You did it for Kaoru," Haruka said somewhere above them. "It had to be done."


	21. Chapter 21

Kaoru shuddered in pain; his limbs tensed against the restraints and he ground his teeth as tears streamed down his cheeks. He cried out pitifully just as the pain began to subside and temporarily, he fell limp. The darkness edged his vision but he did not get the relief of unconsciousness.

His body trembled weakly just as a stinging fire rushed his veins. Kaoru could feel it spread rapidly up into his Carotids, initiating an unbearable migraine. But, as quickly as it came, Kaoru was left panting on the hard table as sticky, hot blood trickled down the side of his ears. He whimpered softly.

"Easy, now," the nurse whispered as she began uncurling Kaoru's tightened fingers. Kaoru opened his eyes and watched her warily. He was so tired; so, so tired. She leaned across him and straightened his other hand with a sad smile on her thin lips. "It'll be alright, now."

Kaoru flinched away, closing his eyes. How does he know that she isn't lying? This was the third injection they've given him tonight. He focused on taking deep breaths, trying to ease his aching heart.

The nurse moved away with a swish of her lab coat, addressing the doctor, "Uzo, I think he's had enough for today."

Kaoru cracked an eye. Was that the doctor's name? "It was amazing," the doctor ranted. Kaoru swore if he heard that word one more time… he was going to kill the guy. "Completely amazing," Uzo continued, making Kaoru cringed. "His body not only dispels the Red Plague, but it rejected the Black Plague, the HIV virus, and Shingles. I wonder what else he can ward off." Kaoru watched Uzo pace as the anger built inside. If he ever got his hands on Uzo…

"He really can't handle any more tonight. He even drew blood on his palms where his nails dug in," the nurse piped up, laying a soft hand on Uzo's shoulder.

Kaoru sighed in relief when Uzo nodded in agreement. "Alright, alright," he said scrubbing his hands over his eyes. "But I want him in here first thing in the morning. I still have a lot to analyze. We clear, Hina?"

Hina's eyes darted to Kaoru sorrowfully before she nodded slowly. "Of course," she said quietly. Maybe somewhere else, at a different time, Kaoru may have liked this nurse. But right now, he hated the woman. She may feel sorry for Kaoru but she was doing nothing about it. And for that, he hated her.

Suddenly a door slammed open, jolting Kaoru in his restraints. "It evolved! It evolved!" a young man shouted into the room. The doctor and nurse moved out of Kaoru's hazy view but he focused on listening, trying to stay awake.

"What evolved?" Uzo demanded.

"The Red Plague," the young man urged. "It got worse."

Uzo lowered his voice, "In what way?"

Kaoru stared numbly at the row of vials of his blood standing on the table. How much blood had they taken out of him today? He threw his attention back on the voices, biting his lip to keep himself awake.

"In the way that people are getting sick faster and the symptoms are stronger. And get this, the infected are taking on zombie-like qualities," he explained to Uzo.

Hina gasped. "Zombies? What in the world?"

"It's true. While they aren't exactly zombies, some do have some extreme cases of lesions and others seemed to have phenomenal endurance and strength for being so sick. We aren't sure what is causing it or how it's even possible."

"Do you have the test results?" Uzo asked eagerly.

"The paperwork is right here." There was a shuffling of papers and then silence. Kaoru's labored breathing was loud to his own ears.

"Did you take samples?" Uzo asked suddenly.

"Of course."

"Grab me a vial right away," Uzo commanded as he stalked back into view, leafing through a manila folder.

"What are you planning on doing?" Hina asked, following close behind.

Uzo stopped, turning to her with a smile. "Why, test it out, of course."

Kaoru let out an involuntary whimper at his words, shuffling uncomfortably in the restraints. Hina immediately was at his side, placing a hand on Kaoru's forehead with concerned dark eyes. "He's burning up," she said, withdrawing her hand. "He already went through so much. I don't think he can handle another injection." Kaoru silently sent his agreement.

"No, he'll be fine. He's a strong kid. He can withstand it. Now get him prepped."

Hina sighed, turning away from Kaoru to check the restraints at his feet and then worked her way up. Kaoru allowed his mind to wander, trying to separate his mind from his body. The next time he blinked she was cleaning the needles, putting away the old vials and replacing them with fresh, empty ones.

The door slammed open, catching Kaoru in surprise a second time. Kaoru squeezed his eyes shut, listening to Uzo give some hurried thanks before his shadow hovered over Kaoru's closed eyes. "Fill this up, Hina."

Kaoru ground his teeth, re-curling his fingers into his throbbing palms. He moved his lips in a silent comfort to himself, trying to gear himself up. He immediately thought of his brother. Kaoru ghosted a smile. He would do this for Hikaru. He wouldn't want to see Kaoru in so much pain. Kaoru could do this.

"Alright, here we go," Uzo said excitedly, positioning himself close to Kaoru. In one quick, fluid movement, Uzo stuck Kaoru in the right arm, just above a row of colorful bandages. And, just as quickly, the assaulting virus was spread into his system.

The reaction was instantaneous. Kaoru jerked forward, moaning horrifically. He had to clamp his mouth shut, trying not to scream at the acidic sensation in his arm. Seizures overtook his body, violent and long. In the back of his throat, bile rose, leaving him feeling sick to the bone.

"Heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature are already at their maximums!" Hina cried from her corner of the room.

A seizure passed and Kaoru curled his fingers tighter until he could feel the quick flow of blood in his hands. He was crying, he realized, just before a mind-numbing wave of pain rolled over him. He groaned fully and deeply.

Everything turned white hot. The back of Kaoru's eyes burned. Was he being scorched from the inside out? Regardless, Kaoru begged the sensation to just _kill _him already. He was so tired. Make it stop…

Suddenly Kaoru's body lurched haphazardly and everything fizzled to black. The last thing he heard was, "Amazing!"

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><p><strong>Oh man, I am nervous for this chapter. I had a bit of writer's block while writing this one, so hopefully it's still good... Was it? *laughs nervously*<strong>


	22. Chapter 22

Hikaru reached forward numbly, grabbing the cold metal of the gun, and scraped it across the cement as he brought it to his knees. A tear dripped from his cheek onto the concrete just below where the gun gleamed in the sunlight. Hikaru wiped his eyes hastily, standing to his feet. He tucked the gun into his waistband before turning his eyes on his companions.

Haruhi was leaning into Tamaki with sadness dancing in her eyes. Tamaki was staring down the road looking haunted. His hand tightened around Haruhi's shoulder. Haruka, on the other hand, gave Hikaru a small, encouraging smile.

Hikaru closed eyes and turned his face into the sun. He had taken a life today, and just thinking about it made his hand tremble… but he decided right then and there that he would not dwell on it. He would move on; it was in the past. In this disastrous world, lingering on death wouldn't help anyone.

Suddenly, Tamaki was gathering Hikaru in a tight hug. "We don't blame you," Tamaki said softly.

"Thanks Tamaki," Hikaru said, barely audible as he hugged his friend back.

"He was going to attack. You had to do it," Haruka put in.

Hikaru pulled out of Tamaki's hug. "Yeah, but we could have waited him out. We could've taken the long way around. We could have simply outrun him!"

"He ran faster than anyone I've ever seen!" Haruka yelled pointing at the dead body. "The guy would have killed us no matter what we could have tried! And the long way around? That would have set us back two days. Two days! Could you really gamble Kaoru's life like that? Fuck, Hikaru, take a victory where you can get it!"

"Alright!" Hikaru cried, flinging his hands out in front of him to make the boy stop his rant. "I get the idea." He would not admit out loud, but Haruka actually made him feel a little better.

"Anyway," Haruka said, rubbing the back of his neck while glancing at the sun in the sky, "It looks like we don't have too much time until sunset. I would estimate about six hours." He looked at the other three. "We should set out now if we want to reach the facilities today or early in the morning."

Hikaru nodded and began walking forward, drawing his three friends behind him. They were quiet for a while as they walked. Hikaru let his mind wander, but he made sure to swerve it away from any and all thoughts of the old man or what Kaoru could be going through. The walk was steady and the sun beat down on them.

After a few minutes, Hikaru stopped and turned. "We should find water, don't you think?"

"Definitely," Tamaki agreed with sweat sticking his hair to his forehead.

"Hey boy scout," Hikaru said, addressing Haruka, "Where do you suggest we go for water."  
>Haruka glanced around, scrunching his eyes against the bright sun. "We could try the housing district," he suggested, pointing to some houses looming in front of them. "And it's on the way, so it won't waste any time."<p>

"Good, let's be quick about it," Hikaru said, walking quickly in the direction.

Haruka ran to catch up, grabbing Hikaru's wrist. "Whoa, tiger, at least get your knife out. We don't know what's out there." Haruka waved his knife in front of Hikaru's face.

Hikaru dropped to one knee, slipping the sharp, shiny knife from its wedge in his sock. Behind him, Tamaki and Haruhi did the same. "Good thing that house had more kitchen knives than food, right guys?" Hikaru joked, standing.

"I'd rather have food right now," Tamaki mumbled, looking at his knife in disgust.

"Okay, let's go," Hikaru said, and they headed forward into the street of standard housing. The streets looked just as trashed as the other streets they have seen. But the neighborhood itself made the area stranger than anywhere they have been yet. Each and every house was surrounded by a chained linked fence, every door was busted open, and some hung on their hinges. The area was obviously looted, but it seemed so much so severe. The lawns were littered with useless trash.

Their small group slowed their pace as they picked their way through the trash. Hikaru paused, staring at a smear of blood on the road with no body in sight. "Guys," Haruhi said, her voice trembling. "I really don't think we should be in here."

Hikaru moved his eyes from the dried blood to Haruhi's frightened face. She was gripping her knife tight in both hands. Hikaru glanced up at the house behind her. His heart stuttered, seeing a face in the top, second floor window, staring down at him. But when he blinked, the face was gone. "Yeah, Haruhi's right. Let's get the hell out of here."

Hikaru turned on his heel and froze. "Oh shit."

The other three pulled closer to Hikaru, staring. There were three people walking in their direction, blocking their path back out of this broken neighborhood. And they weren't just any people. They were infected.

The three were two men and a woman. They looked disgusting; pus dripped from their massive lesions. The remaining skin was pure white. Their eyes were blood-shot and sunken. The woman, worst of all, reminded Hikaru of his mother; a dead, horrible, suffering version of his mother.

"Good God," Haruhi said, paling.

Improvising, Hikaru raised his hands, yelling, "We're not going to hurt you. Please just let us through!"

"Help us!" the woman panted in a rough voice.

Hikaru felt the blood rush from his face. The three were still walking steadily towards them; these infected people clearly weren't thinking right.

Suddenly Haruhi screamed behind him. Hikaru spun to find a sight that would haunt him forever. An infected little boy stood directly behind them; blood streamed from his eyes as if he were crying. "Where's mommy?" the little boy whimpered, reaching for Haruhi.

Tamaki wrenched Haruhi away, yelling, "Cover your mouths and nose. Don't breathe it in!"

Hikaru pressed his shirt to his nose with his free hand, backing away from the boy. "Oh shit, shit, shit." Haruka voiced. "We're being trapped."

Hikaru spun in a circle, his heart pounding, and found Haruka's words to be true. Immediately, Hikaru reached for the gun in his waistband, whipping it out in quick speed. "Don't come any closer!" Hikaru yelled at the infected, close to hysteria. "No closer or I'll shoot."

To his surprise, all four stopped simultaneously. But it was more frightening than comforting. "Duck down," Hikaru whispered to the others as the pulled themselves closer to him. They did as they were told, giving Hikaru a clear shot of all four infected. He watched and waited as his adrenaline pumped deep through his veins. His breathing was heavy.

Suddenly, the woman tilted her head. Hikaru trained the gun on her. And abruptly, she broke into a run with s hideous screeching erupting from her throat. Hikaru fired without hesitation, braced for the kickback this time. He watched as the bullet exploded into her arm with a burst of blood. But it only seemed to slow her.

"Go, go, go!" Hikaru yelled at his friends, nudging them towards the opening he had created.

"Die, fucker!" Haruka cried behind him. Hikaru had just enough time to turn and catch Haruka expertly throw his knife into a man who was only feet away from Hikaru. "Don't worry, Hikaru," Haruka yelled, running past him and after Tamaki and Haruhi, "I've got your back!"

Hikaru only paused a second before racing off after his friends, barely missing an infected man grabbing at his wrist. Stumbling, Hikaru kept on running. He wrapped a hand to his shoulder, feeling a stinging there. His hand came away red. That infected man had nicked his shoulder somehow! "SHIT!" Hikaru growled. He immediately swung around and unloaded four rounds. As the body fell, Hikaru continued running, out into the street to where his friends had slowed for him.

There was no one following them now, but still they ran. Hikaru shoved the almost empty gun back into his pants and quickly checked his arm as they ran. He sighed, realizing it was only a scratch and that no one had seen it yet. So quickly, Hikaru wiped the blood away and tugged his sleeve over it. There was no need to worry the others.

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><p><strong>GAH I just think I did a terrible job of writing this chapter... so I apologize. I suck. <strong>


	23. Chapter 23

Kaoru's mind swam in and out of consciousness. His body felt heavy, like his head and arms were bolted to the floor. He moaned low and slow as he attempted to shift his aching body against the hard surface. Cracking his eyes, intense light pierced him, making him slam his lids back down. He felt so weak. What the hell did they do to him?

His mind focused slightly and the ringing in his ears, that he did not notice earlier, began to fade and he picked up a light, breezy voice, singing softly. He could not make out the words, nor did he want to, because that soft voice ground horrifically against his already pounding headache.

"Oh, God," Kaoru moaned, turning his face to the side, pressing into the cold surface.

Abruptly, the singing stopped. "83?" Kaoru slowly opened his eyes, blinking slowly, sucking in shallow breaths. "83, are you awake?" The world tilted before righting itself. Suddenly a bout of coughs grabbed Kaoru's lungs.

He hacked in utter pain, turning onto his hands and knees. His arms shook and his lungs burned. And, when the coughing seized, his body lightened, feeling so much better. He focused on his hands, counting his fingers.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Kaoru looked up, hearing the voice, and his dirty orange hair flopped into his face. Brushing the stands out of his eyes, Kaoru stared at the girl in the opposite cell. "Subject one?" he asked with voice shaking.

She smiled, flicking her bangs away from her eyes as she held the cell bars firmly in her hands. "Yeah, it's me."

Kaoru lowered himself slowly and sat back, crossing his legs. He leaned forward and dropped his hot forehead against the cold cell bars, sighing. "It's funny, you know?" Kaoru said weakly, "Before I hated how cold it was in here. But now…"

"Yeah, I know you mean," she said, nodding. "How many injections did they give you?"

"Four."

"Four? You're serious?" She asked, completely exasperated.

Kaoru wrapped his arms around himself and said, "Yeah… Why? They've never given you that many?"

"Never!" she sputtered. Her eyes were wide. "The most I've ever done was two in the same day." She leaned closer to the bars. "When did they say your next injection would be?"

"Yesterday, which I would guess is today…"

"My god," she whispered. "They alternate days for me."

Kaoru just lowered his eyes, not responding. Well, it made sense didn't it? If he had this mysterious, magic blood, why wouldn't they butcher him like a piece of meat? He sighed.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "I'm here for you."

Kaoru laughed, on the verge of tears. They fell into a consuming silence. Kaoru enjoyed it… almost. Sitting there, getting a little time to heal would have been nice, but there was something off. It felt like something was missing. Kaoru looked around his cell warily, looking for something out of place.

Finally, Subject One piped up, "Quiet, isn't it?"

Kaoru looked at her sharply, realizing it was the other cellmates that were missing.

"They were all herded out of here about, maybe, two hours ago. They told them that they had a special test for them." She puffed out a breath, frowning. "I hope they're okay."

There was a short pause where Kaoru did not know what to say. But then Subject One tilted her head at him. "You know, you remind me of my brother."

"In what way?"

She smiled but her eyes watered as she looked at Kaoru. "He was brave, smart, and just a little goofy." Her smile dropped and she wiped at her eyes. "I miss him."

"What happened?" Kaoru asked cautiously, trying not to pry too much.

"He died…" She looked away, twisting her fingers together. "My dad died too. My mom died giving child birth to my brother… and I don't remember her too much. But… But my brother and my dad… they both died last year, when the whole Red Plague thing started, just before I got kidnapped. They say that's when I developed my second personality. I guess my second personality was made to act like my little dead brother… but it evolved into this horrible, evil thing and I don't know why… I wish it just stayed like my sweet little brother." Tears escaped her eyes.

"That's horrible. I'm so sorry," Kaoru breathed. He couldn't even imagine losing his whole family. It churned his stomach.

She was crying silently now but her voice shook as she continued, "I didn't even get to say goodbye. Actually… I didn't even see them die. They were murdered by this damn facility's people. They told me about it just as they kidnapped me… In some ways, I guess it's a good thing that I didn't have to watch them suffer. But I would have liked to have been there for them, you know? But they got me when I was walking home from being tested for the Red Plague… Where did they get you?" She looked up at him.

Kaoru frowned. "I don't remember… I passed out from my leg wound." He stopped and looked down, gasping. "They changed my clothes!" He was no longer wearing his bloodied jeans or tee shirt. He now wore something resembling hospital scrubs. He rolled up his pant leg and found his wound perfectly sutured. It looked like it was already healing. "They patched me up…" he whispered softly.

He looked up at her. "Well, at least they have the decency to do that."

She looked at him with a slight smile, trying to recover from her earlier crying. She rubbed anxiously at her cheeks. "You know, we never actually introduced ourselves properly. I keep thinking of you as 83, but I don't want to use the numbers they gave us."

Kaoru grinned. "Well, I'm Kaoru Hitachiin. I am age 15 and I have a twin brother named Hikaru."

"You have a twin brother? How cool!" she exclaimed. "And you already know enough about me, so that just leaves, hi, my name is Kari Uzo."

"Nice name," Kaoru said wrapping his fingers around the bars but paused. "Wait… did you say Uzo?"

"Yeah, my last name. Why?"

Before Kaoru could say more, the door buzzed and swung open, revealing Hina the nurse. "Hello, Subject One," she greeted. "Which one are you today?"

Kari frowned, infuriated before looking away with a huff. The nurse nodded, "I see. You're the bad one today."

Kaoru snorted, knowing how far off the clueless nurse was. The noise drew Hina's attention. "Hello, 83. We have only one injection and a couple blood collections scheduled for you today. So won't be as bad as yesterday."

Not as bad? Kaoru felt the panic rise in his veins. He was already completely drained, how could he stand another round? He glanced at Kari helplessly. She, on the other hand, had an expression of pure determination.

Hina approached Kaoru's cell with the key ready. "Okay, let's get you out of there, get you cleaned up and something to eat, and then we'll head down to the lab."

But just she reached to unlock the door, Kari screamed so loud, Kaoru had to slap his hands over his ears. "NO! NO!" She screamed hysterically, shaking the cell bars violently. "I want to go home! I want my brother!"

Hina hurried to Kari's cell. "Subject One! What's wrong? You need to calm down!"

"No, no, no! I want to go home! Now! Take me home!"

Hina rushed to unlock the cell door and pulled Kari to her feet. "Come on," Hina said soothingly, rubbing a hand down the girl's arm. "Let's go get your medication." She led Kari out of the cell door and to the hall's door. Just before they disappeared out the door, Kari shot Kaoru subtle wink. The door closed with a loud clang.

Kari… Uzo. Was it just a coincidence? She could be trusted… right? Kaoru groaned. All this thinking was giving him a headache.

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><p><strong>Haha, so I just noticed that my OCs names are very close to Hikaru and Kaoru's names... Hikaru, Haruka, Kaoru, Kari. Wow, apparently I didn't think ahead. Sorry if that gets confusing. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!<strong>


	24. Chapter 24

**Can I just say that I love all of you? I've been getting such sweet and encouraging reviews. I want to give you all hugs. Now go enjoy this chapter, yes?**

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><p>"Uzo," Haruka said, interrupting Hikaru's mindless scratching to the small cut on his arm.<p>

Hikaru slowed his steps, dropping his hands abruptly, and looked over. Haruka was staring at him expectantly. His face was shadowed by the rising morning light. "Sorry, what?"

Haruka rolled his eyes. "Were you listening at all?"

Hikaru bit his lip and glanced at Tamaki and Haruhi. They both shrugged; they obviously didn't listen either.

Sighing, Haruka swiped a hand over his eyes. "Okay, let me say this again." He turned to walk backwards and continued, "When we get to the facility, I have a whole plan planned out. I know the whole layout and interior. It's all stored up here." He tapped his forehead in emphasis. "And I know where to find your brother. The only thing we have to avoid is… Uzo."

Hikaru frowned. "Okay, one: what is an 'Uzo?' And two: How in the hell do you know all this?"

Haruka laughed lightly. "Uzo is the main doctor than runs the testing facilities. He's the brains of the operation. If he sees us, we're dead. The others that work there, they're easier to trick." He stopped abruptly and his smile disappears. "And you asked me how I know… Remember how I said my father left me out here to die but at least he protected me from the testing facilities?"

Hikaru nodded, wrapping his hands protectively around himself. "Yeah, when we first met you." He glanced at Tamaki who nodded his agreement.

"Well," Haruka said, fidgeting, "before he abandoned me… he made memorize it all. I had to know everything and anything about the Red Plague, the testing facilities, and the people looking for the cure. I guess you could say I'm an expert." He smiled unhappily. "And I will tell you one thing; everything they are doing to get this cure is completely evil."

There was a short pause before Haruhi piped up, "Well, Mr. Expert, lead the way." That gained a smile out of Haruka.

They walked in silence as usual. It was something they had long gotten in the habit of doing ever since they had started their journey to find Kaoru. As they walked, Hikaru found himself thinking about the previous night. After almost being eaten by zombies, they had carried on walking through the sweltering heat, picking their way through alleys. They were determined to stay out of the main streets because the too many threats: Red Plagued zombies, the Fed, and looters. They had walked until their feet ached and their tongues were dry against the roof of their mouths. For no circumstance did they stop; they were too shaken up to even think about it. Hikaru remembered Haruhi's subtle tremble and the way her eyes darted towards any noise.

After a while they stopped at a decent-looking house. They were delighted to find bottled water and a few cans of beans and chicken noodle soup. But the thing that haunted Hikaru the most that night, was closing his eyes in his shared bed with Tamaki and all he could think about was that poor boy with the blood-stained eyes.

Jolting back into the present, Hikaru shook his head, huffing loudly.

"You okay over there?" Tamaki asked, pulling himself closer to Hikaru and matching his pace.

Hikaru blinked a few times before answering, "Yeah. Great."

In front of them, Haruka turned on his heal and gave them a harsh shush. "We're nearing the facilities. Zip your lips."

Hikaru pursed his lips and looked at his environment for the first time since he drifted away in his mind. They were walking down a darkened and narrow alley. The brick walls rose high above them and Hikaru could touch both walls on either side of him. Around them, the familiar silence of this empty world persisted. An uncomfortable shiver crawled down Hikaru's spine.

"This testing group…" Haruka began as he slowed to a snail's pace, leaning forward in a crouch. He motioned them to the same. Hikaru tensed his muscles, copying the boy in front of him. Haruka continued, "They are an underground organization. They're not an official part of the government, but the government hasn't tried to put a stop to it. And because they have to be so secretive, they also learned to camouflage." Haruka faltered to a stop just in front of Hikaru.

Hikaru tilted his head and followed Haruka's gaze. There was a door, there, deep in the alley beneath an unlit lamp post. Above the door was an old, chipped sign proclaiming the door the "Midnight Tavern."

"Don't you think it's a bit early for a drink?" Haruhi asked.

Haruka turned and gave her a good glare. "Were you even listening? God, the three of you are dense." Haruka's eyes skimmed over Hikaru. In response, Hikaru frowned. "_This_ is the testing facility."

Hikaru's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me."

Haruka pressed his lips into a thin line. "Let's just go."

"Wait," Hikaru gasped, grabbing Haruka's shoulder. "We're not just going to walk in there, are we?"

Haruka smiled. "That's the best part. They don't even have an alarm system!" He walked forward and bent over the lock on the door. Out of his pocket, Haruka pulled out a lock-pick. Hikaru widened his eyes at him, surprised. Haruka chuckled at the three of them. "I'm a boy scout remember?"

"So it won't be difficult then? To free Kaoru, I mean." Hikaru said, watching Haruka struggle with the lock. An uneasy feeling dropped into the pit of his stomach.

"No, it shouldn't be," Haruka said, not looking up. "I've got this place down, remember?"

"We're trusting you to find him," Tamaki voiced Hikaru's own thoughts.

Haruka snapped the lock open and swung the door an inch or so open. He glanced back at them with innocent eyes. "Yeah, I know," he said softly, giving them a slight smile. He pushed the door fully open, revealing a shower of artificial light and a white-washed hallway.

"Electricity," Haruhi whispered in complete awe.

Hikaru watched as Haruka stuck his head in quickly, looked around, and ducked back out. "It's clear," Haruka said, gesturing for them to go inside. His eyes darted up and down the alley.

Quickly, Hikaru and his two friends, made their way inside, blinking against the bright lights. It was only a hallway, leading straight ahead and to the right. But then, there was a loud slam behind them.

Hikaru spun and found the door completely shut and no Haruka in sight. Hikaru lunged at the door, throwing all of his weight against the closed door with a feral growl. His body hit the hard metal and it only made his wounded arm throb. "Haruka!" Hikaru screamed through the door just as the door clicked mechanically as it locked. Tamaki and Haruhi joined him in pushing at the door.

"It's no use!" Haruka chortled from the other side of the door.

The three froze. "Haruka?" Haruhi whispered with her eyes wide with fear.

Haruka's laughter was muffled through the door. "I can't believe you all trusted me so easily. Are you serious? Hikaru," Haruka addressed him. Hikaru stiffened, curling his hand into a tight fist against the door. "I'm the one who brought your brother into the testing facility. _I'm _the one that scraped your bloody and unconscious brother off that subway track. I brought him here!"

"You bastard!" Hikaru screamed, kicking the door. His chest flamed with anger. "I'll kill you! You hear me? I'm going to tear your fucking lungs out!"

"Not if my father kills you first. Did you hear? My father, Uzo, is the head doctor. I'm sure he has been taking real nice care of your brother."

"Fuck you!"

Haruka only laughed. "See you on the slicing table!" Haruka called before his footsteps filtered away.

Hikaru screamed in frustration, feeling tears flowing freely down his cheeks. He kicked the heavy door one last time before sinking to his knees, sobbing.

"I'll kill him," Tamaki growled Hikaru's earlier words.

"Shit, Hikaru, you're bleeding!" Haruhi cried, dropping to her knees beside him. She reached out to touch his bloody sleeve but Hikaru flinched away.

"I got it," Hikaru mumbled, wiping at the never-ending tears. Hikaru rolled up the sleeve to see blood pouring from his scratch. But he paled when he realized… The skin around his wound looked a sickly yellow.

"Where the hell did you get this?" Haruhi demanded.

Hikaru ignored her and dabbed at the wound with his dirtied t-shirt, trying to focus through watery eyes. Then he shrugged his sleeve back down and stood shakily. "Kaoru… he needs us…" And he prayed that they wouldn't be too late.

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><p><strong>Did you see that coming? LOL I hope I threw at least some of you through a loop. 0_0<strong>


	25. Chapter 25

Hikaru made his way down the hallway with precision stealth. He could feel Tamaki and Haruhi right on his heels. The hallway was quiet and it echoed their light footsteps. There was nothing on the cold walls. The place felt dead.

They reached the turn and Hikaru paused at the corner. Slowly, he peered around the edge with his orange hair flopping clumsily into his face. This portion of the hallway was darkened but it was not a long passageway. It opened up into a room of some sort. Hikaru shifted forward, trusting the others to follow him.

He trailed his fingers along the smooth wall and kept his eyes trained on the soft glow of light before him. His heart thudded loudly in his ears. He wondered what would be in store for them. Would they find Kaoru on the other side of this hallway? Or would they find the one called "Uzo?"

Hikaru pushed forward faster, determined to get through this quickly. All he wanted was to be with his brother once again. Was that too much to ask? He shook his head, no longer wanting to think about it.

Reaching the opening into the room, Hikaru stepped tentatively inside. The room looked the same as the hallway. It was pure white with no furnishings, no wall décor. It was completely empty. But Hikaru's eyes were drawn to the barred doorway on the far left.

He glanced back at his friends' terrified expressions before rushing to the barred door, gripping his hands around the cold metal. Hikaru narrowed his eyes. It was another long hallway lined with other cells. He shook the door with a loud clang. The stupid thing wouldn't budge.

"Hello?" Hikaru called out into the silent hall. Tamaki and Haruhi joined him at his side. Just on the other end, Hikaru could hear a slight shuffling, maybe even whispering. "Anyone there?"

"Who are you?" a girl asked quietly, she pressed her face against the cell door, trying to see them from her impossible angle. Hikaru could see her long black hair and one dark eye.

"Hikaru, Tamaki, and Haruhi. We're trying to find my—"

"Hikaru?" A desperate voice cried. Suddenly a body was thrown against the door of the cell opposite to the girl.

Hikaru's heart seized for a split second before it started up dizzying speed. "Kaoru?" he asked, the name was almost painful on his lips. His chest clenched. His brother's identical hair was sticking haphazardly through the cell and Kaoru caught him in his bright amber gaze.

Suddenly, Kaoru was sobbing and he slid to the floor, resting his forehead against the cell door. Panic rose in Hikaru's throat. "Kaoru! What's wrong? Kaoru!"

"He's been through a lot today," the soft-spoken girl explained.

"What do you mean?" Haruhi asked.

The girl's gazed flitted over Haruhi and Tamaki before going back to Hikaru. "He's had five injections this morning. I'm afraid he's weak and hurting a bit." She paused, letting it sink in.

"Why are you here?" Kaoru suddenly choked out through his tears. "You should have stayed away."

"What?" Hikaru cried. "What are you even saying, Kaoru? I would never have left you out here alone!"

Kaoru gave him a watery glare. "The only comfort I had in this place is that I knew you were safe. What do I have now?" His tears poured faster and he curled into himself, pressing closer to the cell door.

"Well, I'm here now, Kaoru. Everything will be alright. I'll get us out of here, I promise!" His curled fingers were turning white.

Shaking his head, Kaoru pierced him with the saddest, most defeated look Hikaru had ever seen on his brother's face. "No, I'm going to die in here. They will never let me go…"

"Don't you talk like that!" Hikaru growled. His words jolted his younger brother; he was staring with wide eyes. "Don't ever say stuff like that again. You and me, we'll be fine, I promise."

Kaoru opened his mouth, about to reply, when suddenly the door buzzed. Before Hikaru knew what was happening, Kaoru and the girl both scrambled away from the cell door. The door opened and a young woman in a lab coat walked inside. "Hello Subject One. Hello, 83," the woman called into the cells as she closed the doors.

Her gaze then set on the three of them. "Oh hello!" She called with an uncomfortably warm smile. She walked quickly down the hall to Hikaru and the others. "Looks like we have three new test subjects, huh?"

"Fuck you lady," Hikaru said simultaneously to Tamaki's "Go to Hell."

She whistled. "We have feisty ones this time." Hikaru glanced over the lady's shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of his brother. "Well, my name is Hina, the nurse…" She paused, looking straight at Hikaru. "Oh honey, are you twins?" Her eyes followed Hikaru's gaze to Kaoru's cell. "Oh, Uzo will be so excited!" she gushed.

"Uzo?" the black-haired girl echoed from her cell, crawling back into view. Her face was confused.

"I'm assuming Haruka brought you in?" Hina asked.

"Fuck Haruka!" Hikaru spat.

"Haruka?" the girl echoed.

Hina turned to the young girl and snapped, "Subject One, do you mind being quiet? Thank you!"

Suddenly Kaoru was back in Hikaru's view. "Kari," he said softly, looking at the girl with concern.

The girl called Kari ignored Kaoru and glared directly at Hina, "Did you say Uzo?" Her voice rose. "Haruka Uzo?"

Hina pressed her lips into a thin line and walked away from Hikaru's cell. At first, Hikaru thought the nurse was going to talk to Kari, but instead, she stopped in front of Kaoru's cell. She leaned forward, unlocking it. Hikaru swelled with anger, noticing Kaoru's noticeable shake. "Come on, 83," Hina said softly, "We have a few more blood samples to take." She opened the door fully, reaching down to grab, Kaoru's arms.

"His name is Kaoru and don't you dare touch him!" Hikaru growled as he shook the cell door.

Kaoru startled struggling against the woman's hold, but he was weak. "No, no, not again!" Kaoru cried brokenly. The woman grasped him hard around the chest, wrenching him from the cell. "Hikaru!" Heavy tears rolled from his eyes. He reached out to his older brother, fighting faintly against the nurse's hold.

"Kaoru!" Hikaru screamed back, fighting tears of his own. He watched his brother be dragged through the hall door, slamming shut just as Kari began screaming about her own brother and home and other things. But Hikaru wasn't listening.

He plunged himself into Tamaki and Haruhi's embrace while they whispered empty words of comfort. Hikaru tried desperately and whole-heartedly to keep himself from breaking in two.

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><p><strong>Oh, I made myself sad writing this chapter. lol <strong>


	26. Chapter 26

Hikaru sighed softly, resting his head against the wall. He wasn't sure how long the three of them have been sitting there, but it was unsettling that every second that ticked by, Kaoru was somewhere in this building. He was so close, yet Hikaru could not reach him.

Hikaru bit his lip and glanced at his friends. They both sat near the cell door with their legs crossed and their arms resting across their knees. Haruhi was whispering to Tamaki soft enough that Hikaru could not hear what they were saying. So Hikaru turned his eyes back to continue his watch on the hall.

It was dead quiet. Kari had long fallen silent but she was still sitting on the edge of her cell, casting wordless gazes towards Hikaru. After a few minutes of mindless staring, waiting, and hoping, Kari moved forward. "Uh, hey," she said gently.

"Hikaru," he supplied.

"Yeah, Hikaru," she repeated, tucking long strands of shiny, black hair behind her ear. Her eyes darted nervously away and back again. "Umm… That guy you were talking about earlier, his name was Haruka?"

Hikaru nodded. "Yeah…"

"Did he have scruffy, black hair with dark eyes?"

"Wait, are you related to that guy?" Hikaru blinked. He could suddenly see his face in this girl. "Are you in on this too?"

"In on what?" She asked with wide eyes.

"This," Hikaru said, gesturing to the cells. "He said his father was Uzo, the head doctor here."

She looked bewildered. "What doctor? I've never seen the doctor. Nurses and assistants are the only…" she trailed off.

Hikaru snorted. "You've obviously been tricked. It turns out that your own family is holding you hostage."

Kari's eyes glazed over as she stared blankly at Hikaru. She froze into a statue. "Hey," Hikaru called, "Are you okay?"

She immediately started screaming, loud and piercing. Hikaru cringed away, looking at his friends. "What's wrong with her?" Haruhi questioned over the screaming.

"I don't know!" Hikaru replied.

"You're all going to die! Every single one of you!" Kari screamed.

Suddenly the door slammed open and a nurse scrambled inside. She wrenched open the cell door, picked the girl gruffly up off the floor, and injected her roughly in the arm. Kari instantly fell limp and heavy into the nurse's arms. And without a single word, the nurse dragged the poor girl out of the hall.

"Oh my God," Tamaki whispered, scooting closer to the bars. "What the hell is going in this place?" He tilted his head, looking uncertainly into Hikaru's eyes.

Hikaru sat on his knees with his hands planted hard against the floor. He stared sightlessly as the gray floor. "We need to get out of here."

The door clanged open a second time and Hina reentered the room. Hikaru flew to his feet, followed by Tamaki and Haruhi. The woman took slow, measured steps down the hallway, smiling tightly. "Oh, settled down you three. I'm here on Subject 83's account."

"Kaoru," Hikaru growled through gritted teeth.

"Yes, Kaoru… Uzo is very interested in your brother," she said, looking directly into Hikaru's eyes. "And now, he is very interested in you." She reached the cell door and pulled a glinting key from her pocket. "Now, if you come quietly, with no struggle, you will be able to see your brother."

Hikaru breathed slowly, "And if I don't?"

She smiled sweetly, "You don't want to know."

He nodded, figuring as much. He turned to his friends and wrapped them into a loose hug. "I _will_ be back," Hikaru whispered, just as the cell door clicked open.

"Some of the assistants will be by later to move the two of you into new cells," Hina told Tamaki and Haruhi flippantly, grabbing Hikaru by the shoulder. "Let's go 84." Hikaru's jaw jumped at the label.

Hikaru was led quietly into the hallway. His steps echoed down the long empty passageway to the next door. Hina quickly buzzed her way through and Hikaru was led into a dimmer hallway. Shadows rested in the corners and there were shadows between each wide-spaced light. From time to time, they passed doors. None were labeled.

And then, distantly, Hikaru heard it. It was the sound of screaming, pain, echoing through the halls. They crossed an intersection and the screams became louder, penetrating Hikaru's panicked chest. His breathing sped; he felt a bit dizzy.

Hikaru had heard that scream before. Kaoru. But this wasn't the same scream as their trip to the haunted house and not like the scream from falling of his bike. This was the sound of Kaoru's pure, unaltered pain… and Hikaru was going to sick.

"It's okay," Hina murmured trying to steady Hikaru's shaking arms. He hadn't even noticed he was doing that. "It's only a reaction to his injection."

Hikaru glared at the woman as the screams continued. "Have you ever been injected?" he asked in a low voice.

She pursed her lips, looking away. "Yeah, didn't think so," Hikaru spat.

They walked ever closer to the horrifying screams, and with each step, Hikaru just wanted to run ahead, grab his brother, and escape far, far away from this mess. He sucked in a shuddering breath just as they reached the final door at the end of the hallway. The screams had fizzled off into muffled whimpers.

Before him, Hina pushed the door open, sweeping Hikaru inside by his shoulder. Just inside, Hikaru froze. His brother was lying on a shining, metal table, shaking lightly. There was a stream of blood trickling from his ears and tears flowed from Kaoru's closed eyes. Hikaru eyed Kaoru's restraints; they held his brother down from the ankles, wrists, shoulders, and waist.

"He's here," Hina announced.

Hikaru's eyes flicked to a man he had not noticed before. He was wearing a lab coat and holding vials of red liquid in both hands. Hikaru paled, realizing it must be Kaoru's blood.

Slowly, Kaoru tilted his head and cracked his eyelids at Hikaru. Hikaru's heart jolted as he looked at his brother's sunken, tired eyes. He looked so drained… almost dead. "Hikaru?" Kaoru's eyes were so sad.

"Ah, the twin," the doctor said with a wide grin.

"Uzo," Hikaru growled.

"I see you've already heard of me from Haruka," Uzo said, setting the vials into a rack.

"Fuck Haruka."

Uzo tisked. "I'd be nice to my son if I were you. He will be assisting us shortly. It's his first solo injection, you know." He turned back picking up a tray of syringes, swabs, and vials and carried them to a cart next to the second table. "Hina, if you will."

"Come on," Hina said, grabbing his shoulder again, leading him over to the second table. "Let's get you strapped in." Kaoru's eyes widened, reflecting Hikaru's terror. Hikaru wanted to reach out to his younger brother, to comfort him, but before he could do anything, Hina was pushing him back onto the table.

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><p><strong>Hello lovely readers! How are you? I hope this finds you in good health... lol I'm off to write the next chap!<strong>


	27. Chapter 27

Hikaru numbly let the nurse strap his arms down, the last of the restraints. He kept his eyes on his brother who was frowning and breathing in quick gasps. He could feel Kaoru's question: _Why?_ Why is he letting them strap him in? Why did he have to go looking for Kaoru? Why was he giving up?

Hikaru shook his head subtly and smiled just a little. Kaoru's eyes flashed and Hikaru knew Kaoru understood his message: _For you. _He was letting them because he didn't know if he could see Kaoru again otherwise. He went looking for Kaoru because he's his brother, his only brother. And no, he wasn't giving up. He would get them out of here.

A door slammed open, making the twins jump in unison. Kaoru turned his head to face the door and Hikaru peered warily at the space beyond his brother. "Oh, good, you're right on time," Uzo said excitedly. "Hina, would you mind leaving us alone? I'll call you back if I need any further help." Uzo crossed the room to stand by his son, Haruka, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Hikaru glared at the kid and Haruka mirrored the expression. The kid smiled sadistically. "Alright." Hina's nervous reply snapped his attention to where she was grabbing the tray of blood vials. "I'll just run these samples down to the lab," she said. Crossing the room, Haruka opened the door for her. And just before she slipped through, she sent one last glance at the twins. Hikaru gave her a heavy scowl.

"So how are we doing this?" Haruka asked, pulling on a lab coat as he came to stand over Hikaru.

Uzo was clinking through supplies, just out of Hikaru's sight. "Well, I…" he trailed off and the clinking grew more violent. "Dammit," he cursed, "I've misplaced Subject 83's latest blood sample. Hina must have taken it with her." He came back into view, heading for the door. "Haruka, clean the blood off 83's ears for me, will you?"

Haruka nodded, turned away from Hikaru and muttered a, "Yeah, sure." The door slammed shut and Haruka crossed the room, pulling a bucket off the counter.

Catching Kaoru's eyes, Hikaru asked softly, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Hikaru," Kaoru said a little too quickly.

"Are you sure because you look…" he trailed off as Kaoru chewed the inside of his cheek, looking away. That answered the question for him.

Haruka appeared by Kaoru, catching him off guard. Kaoru flinched away from the wet towel Haruka tried to press to his ear. "Fuck, settle," Haruka exclaimed, pulling the white towel away, "It's just a little water." Silence settled between the three as Haruka set to work on Hikaru's brother. The blood smeared on Kaoru's skin and stained the towel red. The water was even tinted slightly crimson.

"Would you do this to your sister?" Kaoru whispered suddenly and softly. Haruka's hand froze. Haruka looked absolutely haunted with his wide eyes.

"How do you know about my sister?" Haruka asked, pulling his arm away in horror.

"She's here," Kaoru answered, frowning intently.

"He's telling the truth," Hikaru spoke up.

Haruka met his eyes, disbelieving. "No. No, there's no way. She died a year ago… She killed herself…" Haruka shook his head.

"She didn't kill herself, Haruka," Hikaru said, genuinely surprised.

"Her name is Kari, right?" Kaoru asked. Haruka backed into the wall. Kaoru shifted in his restraints before continuing, "She has long black hair and dark eyes? She's in her 20's… Kari thinks you're dead too."

Haruka shook his head again. "Impossible! Dad said she died! She was one of the first to get the Red Plague! Dad said she killed herself because she went crazy."

"Your dad lied to you," Hikaru said coldly.

"Stop mocking me!"

"Just listen to us!" Kaoru cried. The room plunged into silence as Kaoru took a deep breath. "She's here, in the cells. She's been tested on for almost a year, and she doesn't know where you are."

Haruka watched Kaoru in utter silence, working his jaw. The boy brought his arms around himself protectively. Hikaru could see the glint of tears in his eyes. "I don't believe you."

"Check for yourself," Kaoru replied.

The three stared at one another. Haruka shifted from foot to foot, looking down, while Kaoru and Hikaru exchanged a sad look. Kaoru sighed. "If you loved her at all… you wouldn't do this to us."

Haruka's face was conflicted. He unconsciously started to wring at the wet towel. But he didn't get to reply. The door opened and Uzo marched in with a single vial of blood in his hand. Uzo stopped in tracks before looking steadily at his son. "You didn't finish cleaning off the blood."

Haruka dropped the towel nervously and quickly picked it back up. "I know, Dad, but I was thinking… maybe I could skip this injection. I'm feeling a little sick right now…" Haruka avoided his father's eyes.

"But I need to do this now," Uzo said shortly.

"Yeah… But maybe I'll help with the next one?"

Uzo hesitated. "Fine. Go." And Haruka rushed from the room, not even looking back as he closed the door.

"Bastard," Hikaru muttered under his breath. Haruka was seriously going to leave them here?

"Okay, boys," Uzo said, setting the vial down next to the empty ones. "Let's get this started." He crossed over to Hikaru. "Were you checked for the Red Plague?"

"Yeah," Hikaru said, his eyes darted over to his brother. Kaoru was watching worriedly.

"And?"

Hikaru frowned, looking up at the doctor. "And what?"

"Are you immune?"

Hikaru bit his lip, hesitating before admitting, "No."

"Oh? Then this will be a wonderful experiment."

Kaoru strained against his restraints, thrashing. "What are you going to do to him?"

Uzo turned away and quickly returned with a syringe of clear liquid. Kaoru's face paled drastically and suddenly fear raced through Hikaru's veins. He breathed a little faster. "Well, we are going to see how your brother reacts to the Red Plague."

"No!" Kaoru growled, moving violently against the chains.

"Settle down," Uzo said, staring into the liquid of the syringe, "You'll only cut yourself against the chains. He turned his eyes on Hikaru and approached slowly. "Don't worry; I'm hoping that you'll be special, like your brother."

"Get the fuck away from him!" Kaoru screamed.

"He'll be fine…"

"Go to Hell," Hikaru hissed.

Uzo ignored both of them and tugged at Hikaru's sleeve, rolling it slowly up his arm. But then he reached Hikaru's wound and stopped short, frowning heavily. Unceremoniously, Uzo yanked the sleeve up to reveal the whole wound and then the guy started laughing.

Uzo shook his head, chuckling, and set his syringe back onto the table. "What?" Hikaru asked, annoyed.

Uzo smiled. "It looks like you already have it, the Red Plague."

"What?" Kaoru gasped.

"The lesions are starting," the doctor stated, gesturing to the rings of yellow around the pink wound. "Though why you haven't developed any other symptoms is a mystery." Uzo turned and promptly picked up Kaoru's blood vial, the one from earlier. "I guess there's only one thing left to do…"

"No!" Kaoru cried.

Uzo picked up an empty syringe, uncorked the vial and placed the needle into the red liquid. "83, you need to understand," he began as he sucked the blood into the syringe, "Your blood could kill your brother… but it could also save him." He discarded the vial and regarded Kaoru. "Now, wouldn't you _want _to take this chance? For your brother?"

Kaoru looked over at Hikaru, locking eyes. Kaoru's eyes scrunched. _I can't lose you._

Hikaru quirked a small smile. _Everything will be okay._

Kaoru's eyes filled with tears. "Kaoru," Hikaru whispered softly.

But then Uzo blocked Hikaru's view. "Let's do this," he breathed. He leaned down slowly, feeling the inside of Hikaru's arm for the vein. Bringing the needle forward, Uzo poked it into Hikaru's skin, releasing the blood. Kaoru's blood began to mix with Hikaru's, pumping through his veins.


	28. Chapter 28

Hikaru instantly felt dizzy as the hot blood spread through his arm. Wait… was the blood supposed to be warm when it probably had been refrigerated? But then the warmth grew and grew. It wasn't painful, not really, as it coursed through his veins. It just made him feel lethargic, heavy, and it was a little soothing. Was that weird? To think that his brother's blood was comforting?

The feeling was so nice, so distracting, that he almost missed Uzo's voice, "Amazing." And somewhere else, he could hear Kaoru's soft whimpering. But Hikaru was too loopy to focus on it. He sighed happily.

For a while, it continued that way, with him blissfully unaware, but then it suddenly cleared. What brought him back was the warm sensation of liquid trickling down the side of his arm. "What is that?" Hikaru asked no one, blinking rapidly.

"I can't believe it," Uzo said in awe. "He's completely cured."

Suddenly a needle was poked into Hikaru's arm. He gasped, snapping his eyes to where Uzo was taking his blood. His wound, it had reopened… and it was trickling with fresh blood, slightly tinted a darker shade. "What the hell?"

Uzo smiled at him and Hikaru glared back. "Isn't it amazing?" he asked, discarding the full syringe and grabbing another, taking a second sample. "Your brother's blood has completely cured you of the Red Plague. If I just study his blood a while longer, I should be able to cure the world in no time. Do you know how famous I will be after this? They will be writing about me in history textbooks."

Hikaru scoffed. "It's my brother's blood. They'll write about him, not you. You're just the sadistic bastard who's testing on children."

"And without me, you would have probably died in maybe… two weeks tops." Uzo grinned darkly.

Hikaru said nothing, turning away as the asshole reached for a third syringe. He stared as his brother. Kaoru was staring at the ceiling blankly with the most stricken look on his face. Slowly, Kaoru tilted his head at Hikaru; his lips quivered. 'We'll be okay,' Hikaru mouthed while Uzo's back was turned.

When Uzo finished with his third sample of Hikaru's blood, he didn't put it into the rack with the others. Instead, he stood, holding it up to the light. He examined it silently and Hikaru held his breath, waiting for the doctor's next move. He couldn't be done yet, could he?

While the man was distracted, Hikaru glanced around the room with his heart pounding. Sure, Uzo did cure him, but how long until he tried more experimentation on Kaoru and him. Quietly, Hikaru tested his restraints. They were tight, but not too tight… He flexed his hands underneath the chains. If he worked really hard, he could pull his hands out… but then he froze, staring at his chains more closely. They weren't locked!

Hikaru glanced in alarm at Uzo and then Kaoru. No one had noticed that he wasn't secure? The locks were just hanging there. Kaoru was staring at the ceiling again and Uzo had turned his back, working on something in the corner. So Hikaru squeezed his eyes shut, trying to think… had Hina intentionally left them open? Or had Haruka unlocked them?

After quick deliberation, Hikaru realized it was Hina. It had to have been. He couldn't believe he hadn't tried to move against his restraints earlier.

"You know," Uzo said suddenly, startling Hikaru. He forced himself to relax into the hard table. "If 83's blood heals 84, I wonder what will happen if I tried the opposite?"

Hikaru froze at Uzo turned around, still holding the syringe of Hikaru's blood. He looked at Kaoru. His eyes were wild and wide. His skin was pale. "He's not ready," Hikaru spoke his thoughts aloud. Uzo's eyes flitted to him curiously. "He's had more than five injections today."

"I know what my patients can handle," he snorted before turning back to Hikaru's brother. Hikaru's vision was rimmed with red. He was going to kill the bastard!

Uzo began humming happily as he raised the syringe, bringing it closer to Kaoru. Kaoru instantly squeezed his eyes shut. Hikaru could see the strain in Kaoru's jaw. Silently, Hikaru went to work at freeing himself from the tightly wound chains. And it was harder than it looked.

As Hikaru wiggled his hands slowly back and forth, his heart rate spiked and the panic set in. No more than three feet away, Kaoru breathed rapidly almost to the point of hyper-ventilating and whimpered softly. And suddenly, just as Hikaru worked the chain loop wider, Kaoru screamed louder than he'd ever heard before.

His eyes snapped to Kaoru just in time to watch Uzo to remove the syringe in horror, dropping it to the ground. The syringe exploded into tiny shards covered in bloody drops. "Fantastic!" Uzo cried over Kaoru's horrid screaming.

Hikaru's eyes widened as Kaoru began to convulse harshly against the chains. Tears streamed down his brother's face and his fingers moved sporadically, clawing at air. Tearing his eyes away, Hikaru yanked his arms upright with all his might, crying out as the chains cut his wrists. But he was free. His hands flew to the chain around his and he threw that restraint away effortlessly.

Uzo turned just then, seeing Hikaru sit up. "No!" Uzo cried, throwing himself at Hikaru, pushing him down. Hikaru's head smacked painfully against the table. His ears rang, full of Uzo's shouting and Kaoru's broken screams. Anger boiled deep in Hikaru's gut. He struggled against Uzo, knocking the man's hands clumsily aside, freeing his right arm. Hikaru took the chance, heaving a sturdy punch right into Uzo's neck.

Uzo dropped to the ground next to Kaoru's table, clutching at his throat. Kaoru seized in his screaming to gasp for air, coughing hard. And then Kaoru's screams continued. His brother's pain fueled Hikaru's fury. He grabbed at the chains around his hips and then his ankles, pulling himself free just as Uzo was standing back up.

Hikaru swung himself off the table and launched at the doctor, screaming in rage. "What the fuck did you do to my brother?" Hikaru hollered, scoring a hard punch to Uzo's shoulder.

Uzo swung back, connecting hard against Hikaru's face, and he flew backwards and hit the table painfully. "Your brother is allergic to your blood!" Uzo yelled as if it explained everything.

"You heartless bastard!" Hikaru shouted, kicking his legs out, catching the doctor in the shins. Uzo cringed, grabbing at his legs. Kaoru's body convulsed stiffly, cracking his body loudly against the hard surface. Kaoru's screams didn't fade. Hikaru snapped his attention back to Uzo just in time to dodge a blow aimed for his head. "Help my brother!" Hikaru screamed desperately just as foam began to form at Kaoru's lips.

"I don't think there is a way," Uzo growled, swinging at Hikaru a second time. Hikaru jumped backwards, almost overturning a table with a rack of vials.

Without thinking, he grabbed the nearest syringe, and threw himself forward right into Uzo. He plunged the needle into the doctor's arm, right through the lab coat, into the skin. Hikaru angrily pushed the clear liquid into the man's veins, holding his arm tight. "This is for my brother," he growled as Kaoru's screams began to falter. He let go of Uzo's arm and the man dropped with a loud thud, his body twitching.

Quickly, he reached into Uzo's pockets, searching. Ah! He found what he was looking for: keys. Hikaru paid no more attention to the man and instead turned his eyes on his brother. His screams had faded into soft whimpers and his body was only twitching. Blood dripped from Kaoru's wrists from where he strained against the chains; it matched Hikaru's own wounds.

"Kaoru!" he cried. He rushed to Kaoru and looked into his amber eyes. Kaoru's eyes were wide and sightless as his eyes darted around the room. He was wheezing heavily. Hikaru instantly set to work on the locks with the set of keys. "You'll be alright Kaoru. I'm gonna get you out of here," he spoke shakily, sliding the chains off Kaoru's feet.

"Hikaru?" Kaoru gasped, his eyes locking him. His body convulsed weakly and Kaoru groaned.

"Stay with me!" Hikaru's voice was high. He rubbed a hand on Kaoru's stomach as he pulled the chain from Kaoru's waist.

"Hikaru…" He gasped again, struggling for air.

Tears poured from Hikaru's eyes as he moved to Kaoru's wrists. "Stay with me, Kaoru! If you leave me…" He choked out a sob as he released one of Kaoru's hands and then the other, trying not to register the way Kaoru's nails were turning blue. "Oh, Kaoru," he whispered, watching Kaoru's lips tremble, trying to form words.

Hikaru yanked off the last of the chains and pulled Kaoru roughly into a hug, stroking Kaoru's hair desperately. Kaoru choked on his air and his body shuddered. Hikaru pulled away from the hug and shook Kaoru lightly. "Stay awake, Kaoru! Don't close your eyes!" he screamed. But Kaoru's head lolled against his shoulders. Kaoru took one last deep breath and… it died on his lips. Kaoru froze that way, his eyes turning glassy. And slowly, his lids drifted slowly closed.

Hikaru stared, not believing. No, no this was his brother! Nothing bad was ever supposed to happen to him. Hikaru's body shook.

"KAORU!"

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><p><strong>One more chapter left... And if get enough reviews, I'll post it tomorrow.<strong>


	29. Chapter 29

**Final chapter, here we go!**

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><p>Kaoru walked up the luscious green hill with a smile on his face. The sun was radiant in the translucent blue sky. There was an abundantly green Oak tree on top of the hill, casting an embracing space of shade. Kaoru sighed happily, reaching the top. Everything was glowing, warm and happy. Down the hill was a forest, but it held no shadows… just Kaoru would describe as warmth. And beyond that, the land rose in more hills and into mountains.<p>

There were people walking through the forest. They were obvious to Kaoru; they wore a white so bright. They seemed to shine. When they looked at him, they smiled genuinely and Kaoru smiled back.

Turning to look at the tree again, Kaoru was delighted to find a swing suddenly hanging from one of the stronger branches. It beckoned him, swinging lightly in the heavenly breeze. Kaoru walked across the grass, feeling the blades between his toes, and sat down on the swing. He pumped his legs his legs back and forth until it felt like he was flying up and up into those distant mountains. Kaoru laughed and it sounded musical to his own ears, so he laughed again.

"Kaoru," a voice echoed from behind him. Kaoru put his legs down, digging into the soft ground. Kaoru sat still on his unmoving swing, staring straight ahead. He shouldn't look behind him; something bad would happen to him if he did.

But… something pulled him to look over his shoulder. On this side of Kaoru's hill, was another forest. But the trees were closer together and it was dark. However, something felt familiar.

Kaoru glanced back one last time at the happy people, the glorious forest, the high-flying birds, and the fluttering butterflies. Then, he turned up and away from his swing and walked cautiously into the shadowed forest. "Hello?" Kaoru called, his voice echoing harmoniously.

"Kaoru," the voice came again.

And then Kaoru was sprinting head on through the trees, branches slapped at his face, whipping his arms. Something was calling him farther and farther inside. And then the forest erupted in pure white light.

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><p>The air was stale and still. Hikaru's heart beat triple time, loud in his ears. In his arms, he held Kaoru's limp body, still warm. Sucking in a shuddering breath, Hikaru allowed himself to cry hard, but he did not make a sound. He just stared blurrily at his brother.<p>

It was quiet, all for about 30 seconds, and suddenly, the body in his arms convulsed and Kaoru gasped deeply for air. Blood was pouring, not trickling, from Kaoru's ears. "Kaoru!" Hikaru cried, clutching him closer, staring at his brother's wide eyes.

Kaoru coughed, shaking hard. Hikaru laid his brother down and quickly grabbed a towel and pressed it ear to ear, trying to wipe as much of blood away as possible. "Oh my God, Kaoru!" Hikaru cried, happily but still in fear. Kaoru's body cracked hard against the table as another seizure curled from his body and Hikaru immediately pulled Kaoru's head up towards him. He didn't need Kaoru accidently hurting himself.

Abruptly, it all stopped. Kaoru went limp and the blood slowed to a trickle in his ears. "Oh my God," Hikaru said again. A relieved smile overtook his face as he looked into the spark of life in Kaoru's eyes. "Kaoru, you're alive." Hikaru's voice caught and he pulled his younger brother into a quick hug, pressing his face into Kaoru's hair. He could feel Kaoru's shallow breathing against his chest.

"Hikaru?" Kaoru asked weakly.

Hikaru pulled away. "What? What is it?"

"What happened?"

Hikaru breathed in a deep breath and cleared away his tears with one hand. "You… You almost died, Kaoru. Actually… I think you did, for less than a minute."

Kaoru didn't say anything. His brows just twitched into a frown as if he didn't know what Hikaru was saying. So Hikaru plastered a watery smile onto his lips and said, "It doesn't matter anymore. Let's just get you out of here." Hikaru moved his bloody arms so that he could scoop Kaoru up into his arms. Kaoru's head rested against Hikaru's chest, smearing blood onto his shirt. Hikaru took a last fleeting glance at the doctor on the floor; he was motionless. 'Well, it wouldn't be the first man I've killed,' Hikaru thought darkly.

And he turned and marched out the door. Hikaru's first instinct was to go back to the cells, but he found them all empty. No Tamaki or Haruhi. Hikaru walked into his old cell and followed the long hallway. Just as he hoped, the door was wide open and Hikaru pushed out into the fresh air.

"Hikaru!" Haruhi called. Hikaru swung his head to find his friends racing towards him from further down the alleyway.

"How did you get out?" Hikaru asked in a rush.

"Haruka," Haruhi stated. "He let us out. He escaped a little while ago with his sister." She gestured to the empty alley.

"What happened to him?" Tamaki asked quietly, looking wide-eyed at Kaoru.

Hikaru looked down to find that Kaoru had fallen asleep, breathing heavily. "Experiments," was all Hikaru said.

"Want me to carry him?" Tamaki asked, reaching out.

"No," Hikaru said with a shake of his head. "I'm okay." And he was. After all of this, Kaoru felt light. He would never let go of his brother again. Hikaru looked up and said, "Let's go."

"Where will we go?" Haruhi asked.

Hikaru shrugged and started walking, leading the way. "I don't know but it will be somewhere safe. We'll stick together and watch out for each other. And when this is all over, we'll find Kyoya, Honey, and Mori. And we'll find our parents…" Haruhi looked away and Tamaki pulled his arm over her shoulder. "We'll get through this."

It was going to be hard, that Hikaru knew. There was still the looters and diseased. There was still the extermination… but wouldn't that be over someday?

Would there be a day when everyone comes out of the Sanctuaries and start living again? Would their old lives return, slightly modified? Hikaru didn't have all the answers, but he had hope.

Besides, the testing facility still had Kaoru's blood, didn't they?

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><p><strong>So there you have it. How was "Finding Kaoru?" I left it a bit open-ended; the rest is up to your imagination. Thank you to all my readers and reviewers, you really motivated me. I had a complete blast! And don't forget to check out "Lost Without You," which is already completed. And I will continue to write "Paper Cranes and Paper Hearts" now that I am finished with this story. Thanks for everything! Peace out.<strong>


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